The government is set to borrow almost 100 billion baht in fiscal 2015 to finance infrastructure investment, says the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO).
Of the 99.7 billion baht to be borrowed, 45.6 billion will fund the junta's eight-year investment plan through 2022 and the rest used for ongoing projects, director-general Chularat Suteethorn said yesterday.
The amount is part of 381 billion baht in new borrowing by the government and state enterprises in the next fiscal year, starting Oct 1.
Ms Chularat said the government would directly borrow 257 billion baht, using 250 billion to offset the budget deficit.
It will also borrow another 58.8 billion baht to lend to state enterprises, which will directly borrow the rest.
Ms Chularat said 26.3 billion baht of the money loaned to state enterprises would be used to invest in electric train routes — the Purple Line (Bang Yai-Bang Sue), Blue Line (Hua Lamphong-Bang Khae), Green Line (Soi Bearing-Samut Prakan) and Green Line (Mor Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot).
Another 32.5 billion baht will go to the Red Line and a 185-kilometre double-track rail route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen and another section from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Chumphon covering 167 km.
The National Council for Peace and Order this month approved the PDMO's borrowing plan worth 1.426 trillion baht for fiscal 2015.
Ms Chularat estimated fiscal 2015's public debt would stand at 47.2% of GDP, down from 48.2% planned by the previous Pheu Thai-led government and well below the Finance Ministry's fiscal sustainability framework of 60%.
Public debt rose slightly to 5.662 trillion baht at the end of July from 5.655 trillion at the end of June.
The public debt-to-GDP ratio as of July 31 was 46.9%.
Obligation to pay debt for fiscal 2015 is 7.1%, still far below the 15% framework.