Oman Plans to Prepay $1.33 Bn Loans

Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
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Oman Plans to Prepay $1.33 Bn Loans

Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)

Oman's public revenues increased 49.9 percent by the end of May 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, to reach $13.8 billion compared to $9.2 billion in May last year.

Oman is planning to pay off $1.33 billion of financing this month ahead of its due date, the first of its kind in the region.

The Sultanate uses prepayments, bond buybacks, and local debt sales to replace high-cost funds and improve its maturity profile.

The government expects to save $330 million from these moves, which will be spent on projects that will boost its credit ratings and investor confidence.

Meanwhile, the Muscat Stock Exchange has decided to list sovereign Sukuk on the bond and Sukuk market of the local bourse, worth $388.5 million.

The government's efforts to reduce public debt, crowned with success, benefited from the fluctuating interest rates in the global debt markets and the rise in oil revenues.

By the end of July, Oman's debt is expected to decrease to $48.1 billion compared to the end of 2021, which amounted to $53.8 billion.

The government confirmed that it is moving forward to use the additional financial revenues to reduce the state's public debt and accelerate economic recovery.

The increase in Oman's public revenues is mainly due to the rise in average oil prices to about $82 per barrel, average production quantity to about 1.034 million barrels per day, and total oil and gas revenues.

Total public spending until the end of last May amounted to $12 billion, a 5.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021, due to the rise in current expenses to $9.6 billion compared to the same period in 2021.

The state's general budget achieved a financial surplus by May 2022, amounting to about $1.6 billion, compared to a financial deficit of $2.3 billion in the same period in 2021.

The achieved financial surpluses will promote economic recovery by increasing spending on development projects and reducing the state's public debt.



US Service Sector Sags in June as Orders Sink

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
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US Service Sector Sags in June as Orders Sink

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters
The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.- Reuters

A measure of US services sector activity slumped to a four-year low in June amid a sharp drop in orders, potentially hinting at a loss of momentum in the economy at the end of the second quarter.

The Institute for Supply Management said its nonmanufacturing purchasing managers (PMI) index dropped to 48.8 last month, the lowest level since May 2020, from 53.8 in May. It was the second time this year that the PMI had dropped below 50, which indicates contraction in the services sector.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI slipping to 52.5. The PMI fell below the 49 level that the ISM says over time generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. The survey's business activity measure dropped to 49.6, the first contraction since May 2020, from 61.2 in May.

The ISM reported on Monday that manufacturing activity had deteriorated further in June.

The surveys, however, likely understate the economy's health, with so-called hard data like consumer spending suggesting a moderate pace of growth last quarter. The economy is adjusting to higher interest rates, which are slowing demand.

Growth estimates for the second quarter are around a 2% annualized rate. The economy grew at a 1.4% pace in the January-March quarter.

The survey's new orders measure dropped to 47.3, the lowest since December 2022, from 54.1 in May. Services employment continued to decline. That would suggest softer job growth in the months ahead, though the sentiment surveys have not been reliable predictors of payroll gains.

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The government's closely watched employment report on Friday is likely to show nonfarm payrolls increased by 190,000 jobs in June after rising 272,000 in May, according to a Reuters survey of economists. The unemployment rate is forecast unchanged at 4%.

Services inflation slowed a bit last month. The ISM's prices paid measure for services inputs slipped to 56.3 from 58.1 in May. That suggests the disinflation trend was back on track after price pressures flared up in the first quarter.