Cabinet okays new public debt management plan after Covid-19 impact
The Cabinet has approved new plans for management of public debt in fiscal year 2020 as proposed by Ministry of Finance, Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisaranakul said on Friday (May 1).
“According to the new plans, the amount of new debt has been adjusted up by Bt603.492 billion, from Bt894.005 billion to Bt1.497 trillion,” she said. “The plan for the management of existing debt has been adjusted up by Bt204.627 billion, from Bt831.15 billion to Bt1.035 trillion.”
Lastly, the debt-repayment plan has been adjusted down by Bt8.99 billion, from Bt398.372 billion to Bt389.373 billion.
“The increase in new debt of over Bt603 billion aims to be consistent with the emergency decree that allows the Ministry of Finance to borrow money for rehabilitating the economy and society due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak,” added the spokesperson.
The plans also adjusted the new debt of state enterprises up by Bt18.702 billion from Bt145.126 billion to Bt163.829 billion. The agencies that will have their loan limit lowered are Port Authority of Thailand (down Bt4 billion) and Provincial Waterworks Authority (down Bt1.92 billion), while agencies whose loan limits were increased are Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (up Bt4 billion) and Provincial Electricity Authority (up Bt8.3 billion).
Internal loans were also adjusted down by Bt17.201 billion, from Bt85.357 billion to Bt68.155 billion. While Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand gets an additional Bt1.061 billion, State Railway of Thailand loans are cut by Bt18.262 billion.