(1) (a) How much money is owed to the ADB; and (b) which countries are its largest debtors, both in gross terms and on a per capita basis and relative to gross domestic product.

(2) Does the ADB have specific debt management plans for those countries in the Asia Pacific Region who are part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) 41 and the Jubilee 2000 group of 52 nations.

(3) Does the ADB have specific debt management plans for heavily indebted poor countries in the region, such as Indonesia, that fall outside the above two categories.

(4) How, and in what ways, does the ADB integrate its debt management with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank HIPC process.

(5) What role and position is the Australian Government taking with regards to ADB debt management in the region.

(6) Does the Government know of any studies done or does it have information, regarding the macro-economic implications, social impacts and management of debt in Vietnam and Laos.

(7) What economic analysis, if any, is required for ADB projects regarding debt implications of a loan.

(8) Has the ADB commented publicly on the calls of Jubilee 2000 and the global non-government organisation debt cancellation movement.

(1) According to information supplied by the ADB, as of 31 December 1999, the total money owed to the ADB was US$44.30 billion.

The largest debtors to the ADB in gross terms are: - Indonesia (US$7.6 billion in total, of which US$6.9 billion is in ordinary loans and US$0.7 billion is in concessional loans); Pakistan (US$6.4 billion in total, of which US$2.3 billion is in ordinary loans and US$4.1 billion is in concessional loans); the People's Republic of China (US$4.5 billion in ordinary loans) and Bangladesh (US$4.4 billion of which US$10 million is in ordinary loans and almost US$4.4 billion is in concessional loans).

The four countries with the highest level of ADB loans on a per capita basis are: the Cook Islands (US$1,222); Marshall Islands (US$523); Samoa (US$477) and Tonga (US$360).

The four countries with the highest ratio of the value of ADB loans relative to gross domestic product are: Samoa (40%); Marshall Islands (33%); Lao People's Democratic Republic (29.8%) and Mongolia (29.5%).

(2) The ADB does not have stand-alone, specific debt management plans for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) 40 (Since the initial HIPC indicative list of 41 countries was drawn up, two countries (Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria) have been removed and one (Malawi) added as a result of updated analyses of their respective debt situations, leaving the current HIPC indicative list at 40 countries.) and the Jubilee 2000 group of 52 nations. Only three HIPC countries (Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) are presently members of the ADB. Analyses of debt sustainability under the HIPC Initiative are conducted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the ADB conducts debt analysis as a part of its country economic assessment and country absorptive capacity analysis. The analysis then forms part of the Bank's country planning process through the Country Assistance Plan, which is the ADB's country planning document.

(3) The ADB examines debt vulnerability as part of each country's regular economic assessment and absorptive capacity analysis. The ADB has not previously involved itself in the preparation of debt management plans, but maintains a close working relationship with the World Bank and IMF on debt management issues.

(4) The ADB coordinates with the IMF and the World Bank in conducting policy dialogue on macroeconomic management, including debt management. One condition for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries is to establish a track record with IMF and World Bank economic reform programs. The IMF consults, where appropriate, with the ADB during the IMF's Article IV missions, which assess the macroeconomic conditions of countries.

(5) The Government supports the ADB's current approach to debt management in the region and is ready to work with the ADB on particular debt relief issues as they might arise.

(6) The IMF plans to conduct a debt sustainability analysis for the Lao People's Democratic Republic in the near future.

The ADB does not conduct such studies. However, it has undertaken to monitor the debt situations of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic in coordination with the IMF and the World Bank.

(7) The ADB's Guidelines for Economic Analysis of Projects require that where a project is seen as large in a national context, that is, where it may have a substantial impact on foreign exchange revenues, expenditures or budget resources, the economic analysis should include a discussion of national affordability. This is particularly necessary in borrowing countries with small populations and/or small economies. National affordability is considered in the context of investment possibilities for the country as a whole, and in the context of economic projections. This includes net foreign exchange currency flows over the project life, net flows to the government over the project life, the effect on national debt and possible effects on the exchange rate of substantial capital inflows at the beginning of the project.

(8) The ADB has not commented publicly on the calls of Jubilee 2000 and the global non-government organisations' debt cancellation movement.