September 11 (SeeNews) - Serbia's budget balance showed a surplus of 49.1 billion dinars ($480.2 million/414.6 million euro) in the first seven months of 2018, compared to a surplus of 60.1 billion dinars in the prior-year period, according to finance ministry data.
Primary budget surplus decreased to 121.9 billion dinars in January-July from 140.5 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 2.7% on the year, reaching 677.4 billion dinars in the period under review, while expenditure also increased 4.9% year-on-year to 628.3 billion dinars.
Tax revenues rose by a real 2.3% to 579.2 billion dinars, non-tax revenues went up 5% to 95.2 billion dinars, and grants increased 1.7% to 3 billion dinars in the first seven months of 2018.
On the expenditure side, current expenditure grew by a real 4.8% to 628.3 billion dinars, while capital expenditure soared to 58.5 billion dinars from 35.6 billion dinars in January-July 2017.
In July alone, Serbia reported a budget surplus of 18.2 billion dinars, based on revenues of 110.5 billion dinars and expenditure of 92.3 billion dinars. The primary surplus totalled 27.8 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 = 118.452 dinars)