Domestic Debt Going Down.

14.03.2000

The cumulative domestic government debt was BGN 5.135 billion /USD 2.564 billion/ at end-January, down from BGN 5.167 billion month earlier. Debt fell mainly due to principal payments on dollar- and euro-denominated ZUNK bonds issued to convert state companies' non-performing dues into government debt and a principal payment on debt to the IMF. In January, the state paid USD 23.86 million and EUR 1.29 million in principal on ZUNK bonds and USD 19 million to the IMF. The government enters its dues to the IMF into domestic debt as the central bank lends to the government to back its purchases of Special Drawing Rights /SDR/ from the IMF. The government paid BGN 30.87 million in interest and discount on domestic debt in January out of BGN 321.3 million projected for that purpose for the full year 2000