Brazil last year did suspend interest payments on its commercial debt.

The federal funds rate, in turn, influences the interest rate cost of most household and commercial debt.

The Brady plan calls for reducing medium and long-term commercial debt by 20 percent over three years.

In recent years, Chile has converted $6 billion, or 40 percent of its foreign commercial debt.

The rest is commercial debt from private foreign banks.

Brazil stopped paying interest on its commercial debt in February.

Iraq's foreign commercial debt has soared to $60 billion.

Buybacks, including some by the Government itself, have reduced the commercial debt to $209 million.

And if the businesses lost money, would school funds go to pay commercial debts?

A parent's duty to support a child, they agree, is more serious than ordinary commercial debts.