Publication: Radical [Debt] Transparency
Loading...
Published
2025-07-24
ISSN
Date
2025-07-24
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report calls for radical debt transparency, to shift from current, often opaque, practices toward full and timely disclosure. Since the World Bank’s first comprehensive assessment of debt transparency in developing countries in 2021, more countries now report debt data, but there are persistent challenges. Too often, reporting is limited, inconsistent, and delayed. The risks are most acute for public sector debt contracted outside the central government, and through nontraditional instruments and contingent liabilities. As sovereign borrowers contend with higher interest costs, tighter refinancing conditions, and limited market access, many are increasingly turning to off-budget financing and opaque, unconventional external financing arrangements, such as private placements, central bank swaps, and collateralized loans. In parallel, domestic debt is increasing, but disclosure standards remain inadequate, and market-based issuance mechanisms are often underutilized. As a result, debt risks are often hidden, true liabilities obscured, and sustainability undermined. Further complicating the picture, partial and confidential debt restructurings with select creditors have become more frequent, depriving markets of vital information and delaying comprehensive solutions. What is needed now is bold, coordinated international action to encourage all actors, borrowers, official and private creditors, and international institutions, to drive decisive progress on debt transparency. This will require greater participation in transparency initiatives from both debtor and creditor countries, and stronger global platforms and frameworks to support them. This report calls for key actions to advance debt transparency: full disclosure of lending terms, stronger national oversight of all debt, particularly collateralized and non-market-based instruments; and improved tools for International Financial Institutions to report more granular debt data and detect misreporting. It also urges all creditors to open their loan and guarantee books, engage in joint data reconciliation processes, and publish debt restructuring terms once agreements are reached.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2025. Radical [Debt] Transparency. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43496 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Union of the Comoros : Debt Management Performance Assessment(Washington, Dc, 2011-06)This study shows that performance in terms of debt management has been weakened by recurrent political and institutional crises experienced by the country in recent years and has had a negative impact on the State's ability to both mobilize external financing and to honor its financial commitments. The accumulation of external arrears has increased by extension of the depletion sources of funding. However, the government recently initiated numerous actions contributing to a more serene climate at home with the establishment of democratic governance, developing a program of poverty reduction and regularization of arrears. This more favorable environment will soon pave the way for more substantial outside funding, especially following the accession of the Comoros to the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), and therefore requires the full attention of the authorities to implement better management of public debt. This evaluation is part of this perspective. Overall, performance in terms of debt management in the Comoros is satisfactory in all three of the following areas: (i) coordination with fiscal policy, including the integration of forecasts and actual payment of debt service in the preparation and monitoring of budget, (ii) coordination with monetary policy focused on the management of statutory advances granted by the Central Bank of Comoros (BCC), and (iii) procedures for payment of service external debt.Publication Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool(Washington, DC, 2008-02-05)The World Bank is developing a program to assist developing countries improve debt management in collaboration with other partners. The objective of the program is to help strengthen capacity and institutions in developing countries to manage government debt in an effective and sustainable manner in the medium to long term. A cornerstone of the program is the Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool (DeMPA), a methodology for assessing performance through a comprehensive set of performance indicators spanning the full range of government debt management (DeM) functions. The intention is that the indicator set will be an internationally recognized standard in the government debt management field and may be applied in all developing countries. The DeMPA highlights strengths and weaknesses in government DeM practices in each country. Performance assessment facilitates the design of plans to build and augment capacity and institutions tailored to the specific needs of a country. The debt management performance report will not, however, contain specific recommendations or make assumptions as to the potential impact of ongoing reforms on government DeM performance. The DeMPA also facilitates the monitoring of progress over time in achieving the objectives of government DeM consistent with international sound practice. [Revised November 2008]Publication Guide to the Debt Management Performance Assessment Tool(Washington, DC, 2008-02-05)The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and supplemental information to assist with country assessments of debt management performance, using the Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) tool. The DeMPA is a methodology used for assessing public debt management performance through a comprehensive set of 15 performance indicators spanning the full range of government Debt Management (DeM) functions. It is based on the principles set out in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank guidelines for public debt management, initially published in 2001 and updated in 2003. It is modeled after the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) framework for performance measurement of public financial management. The DeMPA has been designed to be a user-friendly tool to undertake an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in government DeM practices. This guide provides additional background and supporting information so that a no specialist in the area of debt management may undertake a country assessment effectively. The guide can be used by assessors in preparing for and undertaking an assessment. It is particularly useful for understanding the rationale for the inclusion of the indicators, the scoring methodology, and the list of supporting documents or evidence required, and the questions that could be asked for the assessment.Publication Crisis Preparedness and Debt Management in Low Income Countries : Strengthening Institutions and Policy Frameworks(2010-07-01)The magnitude of the public liabilities incurred as a result of the unprecedented government action in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, and the consequences of exiting from the projected high debt scenario, have become a major source of concern about a future sovereign debt crisis. As Low-Income Countries (LICs) face unique challenges in debt management (DeM) due to their more limited financing sources and higher capacity constraints, their ability to successfully manage their public debt burdens effectively through a crisis of this magnitude is far from assured. Therefore, the challenges of the last two years will require a re-evaluation of existing DeM strategies in LICs, focusing on the identification of institutional weaknesses and the assessment and mitigation of potential risk. It is in this context that this paper examines the application of two global public goods in LICs: the Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) and the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) tools. The results of the application of these tools from 2007-2009 provide valuable information to policymakers and other stakeholders on the development of sound public DeM practices and analytical capacity, with the goal of strengthening the public balance sheet and reducing vulnerability to financial crises.Publication Global Development Finance 2010 : External Debt of Developing Countries(2010)The World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS), from which the aggregates and country tables presented in this report are drawn, was established in 1951. The debt crisis of the 1980s brought increased attention to debt statistics and to the world debt tables, the predecessor to global development finance. Now the global financial crisis has once again heightened awareness in developing countries of the importance of managing their external obligations. Central to this process is the measurement and monitoring of external debt stocks and flows in a coordinated and comprehensive way. The initial objective of the DRS was to support the World Bank's assessment of the creditworthiness of its borrowers. But it has grown as a tool to inform developing countries and the international community of trends in external financing and as a standard for the concepts and definitions on which countries can base their own debt management systems. Over the years the external financing options available to developing countries have evolved and expanded, and so too has the demand for timely and relevant data to measure the activity of public and private sector borrowers and creditors. Recurrent debt crises caused by adverse global economic conditions or poor economic management have demanded solutions, including debt restructuring and, in the case of the poorest, most highly indebted countries, outright debt forgiveness, formulated on the basis of detailed and robust information on external obligations. Steps are continuously being taken to ensure that the data captured by the DRS mirrors these developments and responds to the needs of debt managers and analysts. In this context reporting requirements are periodically amended to reflect changes in borrowing patterns. Many developing countries increasingly rely on financing raised in domestic markets, and so we are exploring ways to expand the coverage of public sector borrowing in domestic markets.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Global Economic Prospects, January 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-01-16)Global growth is expected to hold steady at 2.7 percent in 2025-26. However, the global economy appears to be settling at a low growth rate that will be insufficient to foster sustained economic development—with the possibility of further headwinds from heightened policy uncertainty and adverse trade policy shifts, geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation, and climate-related natural disasters. Against this backdrop, emerging market and developing economies are set to enter the second quarter of the twenty-first century with per capita incomes on a trajectory that implies substantially slower catch-up toward advanced-economy living standards than they previously experienced. Without course corrections, most low-income countries are unlikely to graduate to middle-income status by the middle of the century. Policy action at both global and national levels is needed to foster a more favorable external environment, enhance macroeconomic stability, reduce structural constraints, address the effects of climate change, and thus accelerate long-term growth and development.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-10)The global economy is facing another substantial headwind, emanating largely from an increase in trade tensions and heightened global policy uncertainty. For emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the ability to boost job creation and reduce extreme poverty has declined. Key downside risks include a further escalation of trade barriers and continued policy uncertainty. These challenges are exacerbated by subdued foreign direct investment into EMDEs. Global cooperation is needed to restore a more stable international trade environment and scale up support for vulnerable countries grappling with conflict, debt burdens, and climate change. Domestic policy action is also critical to contain inflation risks and strengthen fiscal resilience. To accelerate job creation and long-term growth, structural reforms must focus on raising institutional quality, attracting private investment, and strengthening human capital and labor markets. Countries in fragile and conflict situations face daunting development challenges that will require tailored domestic policy reforms and well-coordinated multilateral support.Publication Disentangling the Key Economic Channels through Which Infrastructure Affects Jobs(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)This paper takes stock of the literature on infrastructure and jobs published since the early 2000s, using a conceptual framework to identify the key channels through which different types of infrastructure impact jobs. Where relevant, it highlights the different approaches and findings in the cases of energy, digital, and transport infrastructure. Overall, the literature review provides strong evidence of infrastructure’s positive impact on employment, particularly for women. In the case of electricity, this impact arises from freeing time that would otherwise be spent on household tasks. Similarly, digital infrastructure, particularly mobile phone coverage, has demonstrated positive labor market effects, often driven by private sector investments rather than large public expenditures, which are typically required for other large-scale infrastructure projects. The evidence on structural transformation is also positive, with some notable exceptions, such as studies that find no significant impact on structural transformation in rural India in the cases of electricity and roads. Even with better market connections, remote areas may continue to lack economic opportunities, due to the absence of agglomeration economies and complementary inputs such as human capital. Accordingly, reducing transport costs alone may not be sufficient to drive economic transformation in rural areas. The spatial dimension of transformation is particularly relevant for transport, both internationally—by enhancing trade integration—and within countries, where economic development tends to drive firms and jobs toward urban centers, benefitting from economies scale and network effects. Turning to organizational transformation, evidence on skill bias in developing countries is more mixed than in developed countries and may vary considerably by context. Further research, especially on the possible reasons explaining the differences between developed and developing economies, is needed.Publication Azerbaijan - Country Partnership Framework for the Period FY25-29(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-02-12)This Country Partnership Framework (CPF) presents the planned engagement of the World Bank Group (WBG) in Azerbaijan over the next five years (FY25-29). The CPF is guided by the government’s strategy for socio-economic development for 2022-26 (SEDS) and the WBG’s most recent strategic analysis - including the 2022 Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) update, the 2022 Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), and the 2023 Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) - and has been aligned with the critical elements of the WBG evolution roadmap. The design also benefitted from lessons learnt from previous engagements and from consultations with key stakeholders, including government counterparts, civil society organizations, development partners, and the private sector. The CPF was delayed from starting when the previous CPF ended (FY21) due to a long dialogue with the authorities over the program and overlapping crises. The Government of Azerbaijan has now confirmed its desire to re-invigorate its WBG engagement for the coming years. The CPF will have two high level outcomes (HLOs): (i) increased resilience and sustainability, and (ii) increased productivity and better jobs.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.