KATHMANDU: The government’s outstanding debt has surpassed Rs 2.53 trillion as of mid-December 2024, according to the half-yearly review report for the fiscal year 2024/25 published by the Public Debt Management Office.
The debt has increased by Rs 102 billion in just the last six months, rising from Rs 2.43 trillion at the beginning of the fiscal year to Rs 2.53 trillion.
This now constitutes 44.46 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Of the total public debt, 51.31 percent (Rs 1.3 trillion) is foreign debt, which represents 22.81 percent of GDP, while domestic debt stands at 48.68 percent (Rs 1.23 trillion), making up 21.64 percent of GDP.
The government had set a target of raising Rs 547 biin debt for the current fiscal year. By mid-December, it had secured Rs 240.8 billion, or 43.89 percent of the target.
In terms of domestic debt, Rs 181.5 billion was raised, covering 54.86 percent of the target, while external loans accounted for Rs 59.3 billion, reaching 27.20 percent of the target.
For the current fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs 402.85 billion for paying the principal and interest on public debt. As of mid-December, Rs 182.4 billion (45.28 percent) has already been spent, amounting to 3.20 percent of GDP.
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