October 23 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's finance ministry said on Monday it is proposing to parliament to adopt the government budget for 2018 which envisages a deficit equivalent to 1.0% of the projected gross domestic product (GDP).
Budget revenues are forecast at 23.5 billion levs in the 2018 budget draft, while expenditures are planned at 24.1 billion levs, the ministry said in a statement.
The fresh borrowing which the government will be allowed to make in 2018 cannot exceed 1.0 billion levs under the draft.
State debt is projected at 23.5 billion levs at end-2018.
GDP is projected to grow by a real 3.9% to 105.6 billion levs next year, slowing down from a 4% increase forecast for 2017.
The projected average annual inflation of 1.1% in 2017 is expected to accelerate to 1.4% in 2018 on the back of a forecast of higher oil prices and food prices on the international markets.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)