The stock of Mozambican public debt rose in the first quarter of this year to the equivalent of 14,370 million dollars, according to data from the Ministry of Economy and Finance consulted today by Lusa.

This is an increase of 5.4% compared to the previous period, according to the same official government figures.

As of December 31, 2022, Mozambique's domestic debt stock stood at around 281.545 billion meticais, 23.8% more than a year earlier.

"The increase in the 'stock' of domestic debt was mainly due to the increase in the issue of treasury bonds, by 38.9%, and treasury bills, by 20.7%, with a negative impact on the availability of resources for the private sector," reads a report by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on budget execution in the first quarter.

The weight of Mozambique's public debt stock fell from 115.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 to 94.3% at the end of 2022.

"Although the growth rate of external debt (0.1%) was lower than the increase in domestic debt (23.8%), the volume of external debt remains higher," he also points out.

In terms of debt sustainability, overall, "despite showing a downward trend in recent years, it remains above the sustainability limits of 60%" of GDP. (Lusa)