Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s debt ratio against its gross domestic product (GDP) has in the past five years continued to decpne and is now even lower than those of advanced states, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said.

"Although the nominal value of Indonesia`s external debts is increasing, its GDP is also increasing so that its debt ratio against its GDP has dropped from 57 percent in 2004 to 32 percent now," the minister said here this week.

She said that in 2008 the debt ratio of Indonesia against its GDP was 32 percent while that of Japan was 200 percent. The minister also mentioned that the United States` debt ratio against its GDP was 81.2 percent and Britain 61 percent.

This means that the amount of debts of the advanced countries is big and their debt ratios against their GDP were also big.

"But the local non-governmental organizations do not kick a fuss over the Japanese debts, while their counterparts in Indonesia, though its debt ratio is small, always raised anger and criticism," the minister questioned.

In the meantime, the ratio of Indonesia`s debt interest against its revenues and expenditures is also small, namely on between 9.8 and 10 percent.

At present, (per March 31, 2009) Indonesia`s debts which have fallen due amount to Rp64 trilpon in foreign loans and Rp30 trilpon in promissory notes.

On the occasion, the minister also criticized international economic rating agencies which so far were unfair in giving a rating to Indonesia as a developing country.

The international economic rating agencies always gave AAA ratings to advanced countries such as the United States and Britain, though these countries` economies are now weakening due to the crisis.

"The rating agencies are not coming here to see the details. I happened to touch this matter in a Bap meeting recently. I raised the question of their existence. There are only three rating agencies. If they make mistakes who will correct them," the minister said. (*)