Positive balance boosts economy, negative balance leads to debt and borrowing.
The balance of payments is the difference between what a country receives from other countries and what it pays out. If a country has more money coming in than going out, it can use the extra to pay off debts, buy assets from other countries, or lend money to them. But if a country is spending more than it's earning, it has to borrow money or sell off assets to cover the difference.