Serbian January-May budget deficit 84.3 bln dinars lower than planned

BELGRADE - Serbia registered a 34.8 bln dinar budget deficit between January and May 2023, which is 84.3 bln dinars better than the planned 119.1 bln, the Ministry of Finance has announced.

Revenues totalled 718.3 bln dinars, while expenditures amounted to 753.1 bln dinars, the ministry said.

A 0.8 bln dinar deficit was registered in May.

May revenues amounted to 156 bln dinars, with tax revenues totalling 140.8 bln dinars.

VAT and excise duties made up most of the tax revenues, totalling 68.4 bln dinars and 28 bln dinars, respectively, while non-tax revenues amounted to 14.5 bln dinars and donations stood at 0.6 bln dinars.

Expenditures totalled 156.7 bln dinars.

Expenditures for employees totalled 33.4 bln dinars, interest payments amounted to 16.5 bln, transfers to the pension and disability insurance fund, the national health insurance fund, the military social insurance fund and the national employment service totalled 18.3 bln dinars, with capital expenditures at 27.3 bln dinars and subsidies disbursed at 16.7 bln dinars.

At general government level, a 26.4 bln dinar fiscal deficit and a 49.6 bln dinar primary fiscal surplus were registered in the first five months of 2023, the ministry also said.

(1 euro = 117.23 dinars)