UTANG NG PH LUMOBO SA P9.6-T HANGGANG NOONG AGOSTO

PUMALO sa record P9.615 trillion ang utang ng pamahalaan hanggang noong katapusan ng Agosto 2020 sa gitna ng sunod-sunod na pangungutang upang pondohan ang COVID-19 response at recovery measures, ayon Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

Ang end-August outstanding debt ay mas mataas ng 21.1% kumpara sa P7.939 trillion debt balance na naitala sa kaparehong panahon noong nakaraang taon.

“Month-on-month, the end-August debt stock is 4.9% wider than end-July’s P9.164 trillion “predominantly due to the net issuance of domestic debt securities,” ayon sa BTr.

Kumpara sa end-December 2019 level na P7.731 trillion, ang government outstanding debt sa naturang panahon ay tumaas ng 24.4%.

Ang lion’s share ng total running debt balance o 69.8% ay nagmula sa  domestic sources habang ang nalalabing 30.2% ay utang panlabas.

Nang hingan ng komento, sinabi ni Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort na ang outstanding government debt hanggang noong end-August 2020 ay mas mabilis na lumaki sa gitna ng tumaas na government borrowings para tustusan ang iba’t ibang COVID-19 programs.

“The increase in the government’s debt remains sustainable in the coming years for as long as the debt-to-GDP ratio does not breach above 60%, which is considered an important minimum international threshold,” sabi ni Ricafort.

Naunang sinabi ng Development Budget Coordination Committee na pananatilihin ang utang ng national government sa debt sa “sustainable at responsible level” o pasok sa 60% internationally-recommended debt threshold.

“The Philippine debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to reach 50% levels from 2020-2022, from a little less than 40% of GDP in end-2019, still better/lower compared to similarly-rated countries/sovereigns,” ani Ricafort.

Sa datos na ipinalabas ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), ang GIR ay tumaas ng $350 million sa $98.95 billion mula sa $98.6 billion noong Hulyo.

“Thus, the Philippines still has leeway to manage wider budget deficits for COVID-19 programs while maintaining a delicate balance of having favorable credit ratings, as also seen by the affirmation by Moody’s and S&P despite the economic and fiscal challenges largely brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” dagdag ni Ricafort.