October 8 (SeeNews) - Serbia's budget surplus grew to 46.6 billion dinars ($435 million/397 million euro) in the first eight months of 2019 from 36.8 billion dinars in the prior-year period, official figures showed.
Primary budget surplus rose to 131 billion dinars in January-August from 117.7 billion dinars in the like period of 2018, according to data published by the finance ministry on Monday.
Total budget revenues increased to 828.2 billion dinars from 770.8 billion dinars, while expenditure went up to 781.6 billion dinars from 734 billion dinars in the first eight months of 2018.
Tax revenues rose to 723.1 billion dinars in January-August 2019 from 658.2 billion dinars a year earlier, non-tax revenues decreased to 100.1 billion dinars from 108.2 billion dinars, and grants went up to 5 billion dinars from 4.5 billion dinars.
On the expenditure side, current expenditure rose to 681.5 billion dinars, from 629.6 billion dinars, while capital expenditure climbed to 89 billion dinars from 87.1 billion dinars in January-August 2018.
In August alone, Serbia reported a budget deficit of 1.9 billion dinars, based on revenues of 91 billion dinars and expenditure of 92.8 billion dinars. The primary surplus totalled 4.3 billion dinars.
Serbia's budget was in surplus of 32.2 billion dinars in 2018, compared to a surplus of 33.9 billion dinars in the previous year.
(1 euro = 117.571 dinars)