Jordan's gross domestic and foreign debt rose 5.2 percent to 20 billion dinars ($28 billion) in the first six months of the year from the end of last year as the kingdom tapped more foreign funds to help its economy cope with an influx of Syrian refugees, finance ministry statistics released on Sunday showed.
The preliminary figures showed that gross net domestic debt stood at 11.7 billion dinars at the end of June, falling from 11.8 billion dinars at the end of 2013.
Foreign debt, mostly to major Western donors and international financial institutions including the IMF, rose to 8.38 billion dinars at the end of June against 7.23 billion dinars at the end of 2013, the data showed.
The rise was attributed to a $1 billion US government backed eurobond the government issued last June.
Public debt has grown steadily since 2011 as the country increasingly resorted to domestic borrowing to finance rising government spending and subsidies, and pay for a higher energy import bill, issuing more Treasury bills and bonds.
The central bank hopes to reduce public debt to 60 percent of GDP in 2017 from 78 percent currently.
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