The state budget recorded a deficit of 813 million Euros in the two-month period, after a shortfall of 495 million Euros in the same period in 2012 and a budget provision for a deficit of 2.630 billion Euros.
According to Finance Alternate Minister Christos Staikouras net budget revenues amounted to 8.610 billion Euros in the January-February period, up by 665 million Euros from a budget target (7.945 billion Euros), while net regular budget revenues totaled 7.726 billion Euros, up 2.8 pct from a budget target.
He noted that Value Added Tax (VAT) proceeds fell short of budget targets by 8.1 pct, other consumption tax proceeds were 33.2 pct lower than expected, car registration duties fell 57.9 pct and energy tax proceeds fell short by 3.9 pct. However, income tax proceeds exceeded budget expectations by 18.7 pct and property tax proceeds were 33.1 pct higher than expected.
In the same period under review, revenues from the public investment program totaled 884 million Euros up by 454 million Euros. In all, budget spending totaled 9.422 billion Euros, down from a budget target of 10.575 billion. Regular budget spending dropped 3.4 pct to amount to 832 million Euros but spending on interest rose by 413 million Euros.
Commenting on the data, the Minister noted that provisional figures showed that Greece continued successfully its necessary fiscal consolidation course, while he added that constant attention was needed to evaluating policies and intensifying efforts to achieve all goals.