Inaprubahan ng Monetary Board Approved ang nasa $3.32 billion na foreign borrowings ng bansa para public sector.
Ang naturang development ay sumasaklaw sa huling quarter ng taong 2023.
Kabilang sa pinahintulutan ng Monetary Board ang pitong public sector medium-to long-term foreign borrowings na nagkakahalaga ng $3.32 billion, kung saan 65.80 percent (o $1.32 billion) na mas mataas ito kumpara sa $2.0 billion foreign borrowings approved sa kaparehong period noong 2022.
Samantala, ang public sector foreign borrowings na naaprubahan noong 2023 ay bilang karagdagan sa $14.49 billion.
Sakop naman nito ang 24 medium-to long-term foreign borrowings.
Inaasahan na ang 2023 borrowings ay magiging pondo para sa mga sumusunod na proyekto ng national government: (a) infrastructure projects, kasama na ang transportation ($4.07 billion o 28.10 percent); (b) general financing requirements ($4.00 billion o 27.61 percent); (c) economic recovery and development, environmental protection at climate resilience projects and programs ($3.07 billion or 21.16 percent); (d) COVID-19 pandemic response projects and programs ($2.27 billion o 15.64 percent); (e) agriculture projects ($0.88 billion or 6.05 percent); at (f) education projects ($0.21 billion o 1.45 percent).
“Under Section 20, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, prior approval of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its MB, is required for all foreign loans to be contracted or guaranteed by the Republic of the Philippines. Similarly, Letter of Instructions No. 158 dated 21 January 1974 requires all foreign borrowing proposals by the NG, government agencies and government financial institutions to be submitted for approval-in-principle by the MB before commencement of actual negotiations. The BSP promotes the judicious use of the resources and ensures that external debt requirements are at manageable levels, to support external debt sustainability,” saad pa ng anunsyo mula sa Monetary Board.
