Tuesday, December 1 2015 18:35
Karina Melikyan

Armenia`s foreign debt exceeded 4.1 bln USD by November 1 2015

Armenia`s foreign debt exceeded 4.1 bln USD by November 1 2015

ArmInfo. Due to growth of Armenia's domestic debt in Jan-Oct 2015 by 9.6% in parallel with growing of foreign debt by 8% Armenia's total state debt increased by 8.2%.  The Government and the Central Bank's foreign debt obligations grew by 8% each for the period under review, while in the structure of domestic debts the obligations in Armenian Euro bonds grew significantly (2-fold). In Jan-Oct 2014 foreign debt declined by 2.8%, while the domestic debts grew by 7.9%, which resulted n total state debt fall by only 1.2%.

By preliminary data of the Finance Ministry provided to ArmInfo by the National Statistical Service, Armenia's total state debt reached 2.282 tln drams or 4.827 bln USD, wherein foreign debts are 85.1% or 1.941tln drams (4.105 bln USD) and domestic debts 14.9% or 341.5 bln drams (722.2 mln USD). Government's foreign debt obligations totaled 3.628 bln USD and the Central Bank's 477.231 mln USD. For the 10 months of 2015 the Government and the Central Bank's share in the foreign debt has nearly not changed 88.4% and 11.6% respectively (versus 88% and 12.1% in 2014). Government bonds declined from 92.8% to 88.4% of the total domestic debt of the government from versus 93.7% for 10 months of 2014. In absolute term, the government bonds grew 4.3% to 301.9 bln drams (638.5 mln USD). Armenian Eurobonds increased from 6.2% to 11% (vs. 5.2% in 2014) of total government bonds (doubled in absolute terms to 37.7bln drams or $79.7mln). Trade loan declined from 0.6% to 0.3% (vs.0.8% in 2014) of total government bonds (down 50.2% in absolute terms to 945.6 mln drams or $2 mln). The remaining are guarantees that were left unchanged - 0.3% of total (declining 6.2% in absolute terms to 956mln drams or $2.02mln).

In October alone Armani's foreign debt grew by 0.3% (versus 1.6% decline in September) amid 1.5% growth of domestic debt (versus 1.6% growth in September), which increased the total state debt by 0.3% (versus 1.1% decline in September). In October 2014 the foreign debt 
grew by 1% (versus 2.6% decline in September) and the domestic debt grew by 1.8% (versus 3.2% growth in September), as a result the total state debt increased by 1.2% (versus 1.7% decline in September). The average AMD/USD exchange rate was 472.78 AMD/$1 by October 30, 2015 versus 411.26 AMD/$1 on October 31, 2014.
 
To note, Government of Armenia anticipates a growth of the state debt from $4.442bln in 2014 to $4.953 bln envisaged in the draft state budget 2015.  The state debt will grow 6% year over year (y-o-y), and 8% last two years. The draft budget 2015 envisages a growth of the foreign debt to $4.129 (up 9% y-o-y and 5.8% for last year), versus $3.785 bln in 2014 and $3.904 bln in 2013. Since 2013 through 2015, the share of the foreign debt in total state debt will fall from 85% to 83.4%. CBA's share in total foreign debt was 13% in 2013, 11.6% in 2014, while in 2015 it is anticipated that it will grow to 12/2% ($505mln). Armenia's domestic debt will reach $824mln or 16.6% of total state debt, with a 25.6% y-o-y growth and 20.3% growth versus 2013.
 
To recall, on Jan 1 2015, Armenia's state debt totaled 2.109 trillion drams or $4.4 bln (1.98 trillion drams in 2013), with foreign debt accounting for 1.8 trillion drams or $3.8 billion drams (1,6 trillion drams in 2013) and internal debt accounting for 311.7 bln drams or $656.3 mln (277.7 trillion drams in 2013).