Romania Gov’t Debt Decreases

The public administration debt in Romania decreased slightly in the first six months of the year, reaching 34.9% of GDP in June 2018, against 35% of GDP in December 2017, although as nominal value the debt increased to RON 305.5 billion ($76.65 billion) in June against RON 300.7 billion at end December last year, the finance ministry said, Newsalliance reported. Most part of the debt, i.e. over RON 295 billion, is over medium and long term. The state bonds represent more than RON 246 billion. The internal government debt amounts to RON 157 billion, the external debt amounts to RON 148.4 billion, it said. Out of the total government debt, the debt of the central public administration is RON 291 billion, the debt of local administration amounts to RON 14.3 billion. According to Eurostat figures, in the first quarter in 2018, the lowest level of government debt as share of GDP was recorded in Estonia (8.7%), Luxembourg (22.2%), Bulgaria (24.1%) and Romania (34.4%) and the highest levels in Greece (180.4%), Italy (133.4%) and Portugal (126.4%).