August 17 (SeeNews) - Serbia's budget balance showed a surplus of 30.9 billion dinars ($298.1 million/261.9 million euro) in the first half of 2018, compared to a surplus of 33.2 billion dinars in the prior-year period, according to finance ministry data.
Primary budget surplus decreased to 94 billion dinars in January-June from 104.5 billion dinars in the respective period of last year, figures posted on the website of the finance ministry show.
Total budget revenues grew by a real 3.3% on the year, reaching 566.9 billion dinars in the period under review, while expenditure also increased 3.9% year-on-year to 536 billion dinars.
Tax revenues rose by a real 3.6% to 488.3 billion dinars, non-tax revenues went up 1.6% to 76.1 billion dinars, and grants decreased 10.8% to 2.48 billion dinars in the first six months of 2018.
On the expenditure side, current expenditure grew by a real 2.5% to 471.8 billion dinars, while capital expenditure soared to 50.1 billion dinars from 30.8 billion dinars in January-June 2017.
In June alone, Serbia reported a budget surplus of 22.1 million dinars, based on revenues of 121.2 billion dinars and expenditure of 99 billion dinars. The primary surplus totalled 29.2 billion dinars.
Serbia's budget swung to a surplus of 33.9 billion dinars in 2017 from a deficit of 7.9 billion dinars in the previous year.
(1 euro = 117.979 dinars)