August 1 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's finance ministry said that it expects the consolidated budget to show a surplus of 3.25 billion levs ($1.83 billion/1.66 billion euro) at the end of July, equivalent to 2.8% of the projected 2019 gross domestic product (GDP).
Consolidated budget revenues are expected to be 3.40 billion levs higher on the year at 25.94 billion levs at the end of July, or 59.2% of the full-year plan, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Consolidated budget expenditures at the end of July are projected to be equal to 49.0% of the full-year plan, or 22.70 billion levs. At the end of July 2018, the country's budget expenditures amounted to 20.53 billion levs.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, the finance ministry said that country's consolidated budget showed a surplus of 3.23 billion levs at the end of June, equivalent to 2.8% of the projected GDP.
Last month, Bulgaria's parliament approved a 1.829 billion levs increase in the deficit targeted by the 2019 budget, to 2.228 billion levs. The change reflects a $1.256 billion deal with the US for purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets, and a cut in planned expenses for other projects for modernisation of the capabilities of Bulgaria's armed forces
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)