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Kazakhstan|business|July 26, 2016 / 09:22 AM
Kazakhstan's foreign debt reportedly increases to $153.99 bln in January-March 2016

AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan’s foreign debt increased by $531.5 mln to $153,987.8 mln in January-March 2016. As the Kazakh economy is experiencing recession the ratio of foreign debt, GDP is growing: to 92.3% in March 2016 from 83.2% at the end of 2015, according to Finprom.

The ratio of the National Oil Fund’s assets to short-term foreign debt stood at 120.4% in March, whereas, according to international standards (the Guidotti-Greenspan rule), the ration should be no less than 100%. As a result, Kazakhstan maintains sufficient reserves to service cumulative foreign debt.

Gross foreign debt grew in the given period as a result of increase in interfirm debt which in reality covers direct investment operations in the form of loans foreign companies issue to their subsidiaries or branches operating in Kazakhstan. In the first quarter of 2016 cumulative interfirm debt reached $82,842.2 mln (53.8% of the country’s total debt), increasing by $1,003 mln. With interfirm debt excluded, Kazakhstan’s foreign debt decreased by $471.2 mln to $71,145.6 mln.

Public foreign debt increased insignificantly – by $15.9 mln to $12,207.5 mln in the first quarter of 2016. Non-public debt stood at $141,117.06 mln or 91.6% of total foreign debt in March 2016. It grew by $518.1 mln in the first quarter. The Netherlands was Kazakhstan’s largest creditor, above all, due to interfirm debt.

Debt in foreign currency stood at $136,326.8 mln in March 2016, whereas debt in the national currency was only $4,367.1 mln. Most foreign debt has a floating interest rate (100,368.4 mln). This means that Kazakh borrowers’ repayment conditions will worsen if the economic crisis protracts, credit ratings get lowered and the national currency depreciates further.

Kazakhstan’s payments on principle debt and interest totaled $6,543.3 mln in the first quarter of 2016. Kazakh borrowers should make payments to the tune of $17,938.8 mln in the remaining three quarters of the year, including interest payments worth $3,870.1 mln.

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