Zim’s external debt balloons to US$17bn Business Writer Zimbabwe is in debt-distress as it closed the year 2020 owing to its external creditors as much as US$10,523 billion in Public and Publicly Guaranteed debt with more expected to be loaded on the total bill, Business Weekly can reveal. The country’s external Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt could balloon to above US$17 billion if debts accumulated by the central bank are factored in. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s debts are, however, still expected to go through the process of “due diligence, validation and reconciliation”. According to the Annual Public Debt Bulletin 2020 Financial Year, the RBZ accrued facilities, which are not guaranteed by the Government amounting to US$379 million and legacy debts estimated at US$2,9 billion.