VUCIC: Budget deficit in the first six months of 2016 amounted to RSD 3.9 billion

Aleksandar Vucic (Photo: mc.rs)

- We have a huge primary surplus. The deficit is minimal, almost non-existent, and that is by far the best result in the past 10 years – he said and added that the planned deficit had been RSD 85.4 billion.

According to him, the primary surplus in the same period amounted to RSD 71 billion, which means that, if interest expenses of RSD 75 billion in that period are not counted, the budget was in the plus by that amount.

He added that tax revenue had increased to RSD 44.1 billion and that the public debt had decreased by EUR 140 million since the beginning of 2016.

- Despite huge problems due to Brexit and the growth of the dollar, the public debt has continued to decrease and is now 140 million euros smaller that it was at the beginning of the current year. It used to be EUR 24.29 billion then, and now it is EUR 24.15 billion – he specified.

In the first five months the growth rate of GDP was 3.1%, and as Vucic stated, this year’s growth will be 2.7-2.8%. Next year, the GDP will continue to grow even beyond 4%, he said.