YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s state debt in 2016 amounted 5,9 billion dollars according to precise data.

During parliamentary discussions in the joint session of the standing committees regarding the 2016 state budget execution report, finance minister Vardan Aramyan said one billion of the amount is the government’s debt, while 505 million dollars the Central Bank’s.

Armenia’s foreign debt amount to 4,3 billion dollars, domestic debt – 1 billion 137 million dollars. “Loans with guarantees, which are mostly loans given by the Central Bank, amounted to 146 million dollars”, the minister said.

He added that compared to the previous year, Armenia’s nominal debt didn’t increase, however since a nearly 17% currency depreciation occurred, it led to an increase of the debt, even in conditions when the nominal debt has decreased.

“We have a significant increase of debt in 2015-2016. The foreign debt, which we took in 2015-2016, amounted 510 million dollars. It is almost the same amount which we had in transfer losses during that period. Therefore, had we not taken this debt, it would have led not only to lower economic indicators and drop, but also pressures in the currency marker”, he said.