Ten local governments will issue a combined 109.2 billion yuan ($17.52 billion) worth of bonds this year under a pilot scheme, China's finance ministry said Thursday.

On Wednesday, the ministry said the governments in Shanghai and Beijing municipalities, East China's Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong and Jiangxi provinces, South China's Guangdong Province, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Shenzhen in Guangdong Province and Qingdao in Shandong Province will be part of a pilot program that allows local officials to sell and repay their own debt.

Among the 10 local governments, Jiangsu was granted the highest quota of 17.4 billion yuan, followed by Guangdong with 14.8 billion yuan, according to a breakdown provided by the ministry.