LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), April 2 (SeeNews) – Slovenia's general government budget surplus decreased by 21% year-on-year to 260 million euro ($284 million) in 2019, equivalent to 0.5% of GDP, as expenditures grew faster than revenue, the country's statistical office said.
Last year, Slovenia's budget revenue rose by 4.4% to some 21.2 billion euro, while expenditures expanded by 5.2% to more than 20.9 billion euro, as the government increased wage costs by 7.9%, or 399 million euro, amidst favourable economic conditions, the statistical office said in a statement earlier this week.
The primary budget surplus declined to 1.08 billion euro in 2019 from 1.25 billion euro in 2018.
In the fourth quarter of 2019 alone, the general government budget surplus fell by 13% on the year to 146 million euro, the statistical office said in a separate statement.
The consolidated general government gross debt dropped to 31.744 billion euro, or 66.1% of GDP, at the end of 2019, from 32.223 billion euro a year earlier.
($=0.915494 euro)