Public Debt

Today's pieces look at public debt and economic stability, trade as strategic leverage, the continuing unemployment crisis in Bihar, and how pollution has turned the Milky Way's light into an irritant

SNGs in India are accountable to the Union government but are not uniformly as diligent in maintaining fiscal resilience and debt sustainability

In Japan, 7-Eleven stores have become a cultural touchstone, known for a ready supply of fresh food and everything from toothpaste to socks

The United Nations said Tuesday that global public debt rose to a record $97 trillion last year, with developing countries owing roughly one-third of that crimping their ability to pay for basic government services like health care, education and climate action. UN Trade and Development, formerly known as UNCTAD, said the value of money owed by governments rose by $5.6 trillion from 2022. In a report released Tuesday, the agency said that high interest payments are outstripping growth in essential public spending. In the developing world, which is home to 3.3 billion people, 1 in 3 countries spends more on paying interest than on programs in critical areas for human development such as health care, education and climate action. In 2023, public debt in developing countries hit $29 trillion, or about 30% of the total worldwide an increase from a 16% share in 2010, the UN office said. Developing countries must not be forced to choose between servicing their debt or serving their ..

The report projected overall primary deficits would decline to 4.9% of global GDP from 5.5% in 2023, but with substantial risks threatening public finances in many countries

Total gross liabilities of the government increased marginally to Rs 160.69 lakh crore at the end of December 2023 from Rs 157.84 lakh crore at September-end, the finance ministry said on Thursday. This represented a quarter-on-quarter increase of 1.8 per cent in the September quarter of 2023-24, said the public debt management quarterly report (October-December 2024). Public debt accounted for 90 per cent of total gross liabilities during the third quarter of the current fiscal year. "During the quarter, the yield on Indian domestic bond initially rose but softened thereafter on account of decline in crude oil prices, lower than expected domestic CPI prints for October and November and news about possible inclusion of Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) in a major global emerging market index," the report said. Further, an ultra-long 50-year G-sec was introduced to cater to the demand from long-term investors. On the other hand, US treasury yields remained volatile during the quarter .

Investigators are also studying if disproportionate loans were given to subscribes and whether customer identification processes were not adequately followed, the sources added

Shares of JM Financial tanked by 20 per cent following the RBI order on Wednesday. Later, the stock recouped the bulk of the losses

High public debt remains a risk

The Congressional Budget Office is giving the world a concerning look at the US government's ledgers: ever higher deficits, greater government spending and tax revenues that only begin to increase when existing tax cuts expire. The nonpartisan agency estimates in its latest 30-year outlook, released Wednesday, that publicly held debt will be equal to a record 181 per cent of American economic activity by 2053. That compares with a projected 98 per cent at the end of this budget year, a sign the government is getting more dependent on debt to pay for Social Security, Medicare, the military, infrastructure and an array of programs that benefit millions of households. The higher debt load is not all that shocking given the deficit spending of the past two decades. But the CBO figures do offer a bit of comfort in that annual deficits after 2042 are lower than forecasted in the agency's report from last year. This is because the primary borrowing and interest rate costs are lower than wha

Generous debt restructuring is necessary for its efficacy, but the dominance of the Paris Club of advanced economy lenders has diminished due to a rise in the share of private creditors

The estimated public debt of Rs 7.84 trillion exceeds the UP Annual Budget of Rs 6.90 trillion by Rs 94,000 crore or nearly 14 per cent

But govt asserts public debt is sustainable

A top govt official told Business Standard that internally, the plan for PDMA is unlikely to be revived

Twenty per cent of the annual budget is being spent only to pay the interest on the loans

In a written reply to a sub-question about interest paid on loans taken in the last two years, Desai said the state had paid Rs 20,293 crore as interest

A blanket endorsement of MMT and its policy implications is the last thing Japan needs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said that the combination would pose challenges.

The fiscal position of the country has worsened due to the pandemic

India is the third most indebted country among major emerging markets, behind Argentina and Brazil.