RI`s debt swap deals only worth US$275 million

Indonesia`s debt swap program has only reached US$275 million (some Rp2,55 trillion) or far below its total debt of Rp550 trillion, a finance ministry official said.

"The value of the debt swap program is still too low considering the huge potential of Indonesia`s soft loans from creditor countries," Director General of Debt Management at the Finance Ministry, Rahmat Waluyanto, said here Monday.

The government had called on creditor countries to consider more seriously debt swap facilities for Indonesia, he said.

Their commitments in various international forums to support the implementation of the MDGs program, climate change, and other programs should be followed up by cooperation in debt-swap facilities at bilateral level, Waluyanto said.

Indonesia needed the debt swap program to increase its development financing sources and support implementation of priority programs in MDGs, climate change, education, health, and environment, he said.

He said so far, Indonesia had ...