KATHMANDU, MARCH 17
Nepal's total public debt has increased by more than Rs 204 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, reaching Rs 2,878.29 billion, according to the Public Debt Management Office.
At the beginning of the fiscal year 2082/83 (2025–26) in mid-July, the country's public debt stood at Rs 2,674.04 billion.
Of the total debt recorded by the end of Fagun (mid-March), Rs 1,348.11 billion is domestic borrowing while Rs 1,530.18 billion is external debt. External borrowing accounts for 53.16 percent of the total public debt, while domestic debt makes up 46.84 percent.
The total public debt currently stands at 47.13 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The government has set a target to mobilize Rs 559 billion in public debt during the current fiscal year. By mid-March, Rs 295.19 billion, or 50.44 percent of the target, has been raised.
Of the Rs 362 billion domestic borrowing target, the government has collected Rs 243.66 billion, achieving 67.31 percent of the goal. In contrast, only Rs 56.89 billion, or 24.31 percent, has been raised against the Rs 233.66 billion external borrowing target.
The government has allocated Rs 411 billion this fiscal year for the repayment of public debt principal and interest. By mid-March, Rs 242.26 billion, or 58.94 percent of the allocation, has already been paid.
According to the office, the total debt servicing cost stood at 3.97 percent of GDP by the end of Magh (mid-February).
(With inputs from RSS)