May 6 (SeeNews) - Serbia's budget surplus grew to 15.8 billion dinars ($150 million/134 million euro) in the first three months of 2019 from 6.5 billion dinars in the prior-year period, official figures showed on Monday.
Primary budget surplus rose to 61.7 billion dinars in January-March from 48.2 billion dinars in the like period of 2018, according to data published by the finance ministry.
Total budget revenues increased to 306 billion dinars from 267 billion dinars, while expenditure went up to 290 billion dinars from 260 billion dinars in the first quarter of 2018.
Tax revenues rose to 259 billion dinars in January-March 2019 from 233 billion dinars a year earlier, non-tax revenues increased to 45 billion dinars from 33 billion dinars, and grants edged up to 1.3 billion dinars from 1.2 billion dinars.
On the expenditure side, current expenditure rose to 262 billion dinars, from 234 billion dinars, while capital expenditure climbed to 24 billion dinars from 20 billion dinars in January-March 2018.
In March alone, Serbia reported a budget deficit of 6.4 billion dinars, based on revenues of 98 billion dinars and expenditure of 105 billion dinars. The primary surplus totalled 7.0 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 = 117.973 dinars)