The World Bank has arranged the sale, entirely outside the United States, of a $100 million issue of United States dollar bonds. The sale, at par, was made by private placement with central banks and other governmental institutions in 35 countries and with one international organization.
The new bonds, known as the "Two Year Bonds of 1966, due October 1, 1968," bear interest at 6%, payable semi-annually, with the first payment due April 1967. The issue is to be dated October 1, 1966.
The countries where the new bonds were sold are:
Afghanistan El Salvador Israel Saudi Arabia
Argentina Ethiopia Italy Singapore
Australia Finland Japan South Africa
Austria France Jordan Sudan
Belgium Ghana Libya Tanzania
Brazil Guatemala Malaysia Thailand
Burma Honduras Mexico Vietnam
China Iceland Nigeria Yugoslavia
Denmark Ireland Norway
Completion of the current transaction will not affect the total of the Banks outstanding funded debt, as an equal amount of 4-1/4% Two Year Bonds, placed outside the United States in October 1964, matures on October 1, 1966. The total outstanding obligations of the Bank amount to more than $2.8 billion of which about $2.1 billion is denominated in United States dollars and about $740 million in Belgian francs, Canadian dollars, Deutsche mark, Italian lire, Netherlands guilder, Pounds sterling and Swiss francs.
About 58% of the Bank's outstanding debt is held by investors outside the United States. Included in the holdings of these investors, in addition to non-dollar obligations, are more than $900 million of the dollar bonds and notes of the Bank, or about 43% of its total United States dollar obligations.
