Question 14

Does the Executive’s Budget Proposal or any supporting budget documentation present information related to the composition of the total debt outstanding at the end of the budget year?
 * a. Yes, information beyond the core elements is presented for the composition of the total debt outstanding. (The core information must include a discussion of the economic outlook with estimates of nominal GDP level, inflation rate, real GDP growth, and interest rates.)
 * b. Yes, the core information is presented for the composition of the total debt outstanding.
 * c. Yes, information is presented, but it excludes some core elements.
 * d. No, information related to composition of total debt outstanding is not presented.
 * e. Not applicable/other (please comment).

Guidelines
Question 14 focuses on the composition of government debt at the end of the budget year, asking whether “core” information related to its composition is presented. These core components include: The interest rates affect the amount of interest that must be paid to creditors. The maturity profile indicates the final payment date of the loan, at which point the principal (and all remaining interest) is due to be paid; government borrowing typically includes a mix of short-term and long-term debt. As discussed in Question 13, domestic debt is held by a country’s citizens, banks, and businesses, while external debt is held by foreigners. These factors related to the composition of the debt give an indication of the potential vulnerability of the country’s debt position, and ultimately whether the cost of servicing the accumulated debt is affordable.
 * interest rates on the debt;
 * maturity profile of the debt; and
 * whether the debt is domestic or external.

Beyond these core elements, a government may also provide additional information related to the composition of its debt, including for instance: whether interest rates are fixed or variable; whether debt is callable; the currency of the debt; a profile of the creditors (bilateral institutions, multilateral institutions, commercial banks, Central Bank, etc.); an analysis of the risk associated with the debt; and where appropriate, what the debt is being used to finance.

To answer “a,” the Executive’s Budget Proposal or supporting documentation must present all of the core information related to the composition of government debt at the end of the budget year as well as some additional information beyond the core elements. To answer “b,” the Executive’s Budget Proposal or supporting documentation must present all of the core components noted above. A “c” answer applies if some information related to the composition of government debt is presented, but some of the core pieces of information are not included. Answer “d” applies if no information is presented on the composition of the debt outstanding at the end of the budget year.