ArmInfo. In Jan-Feb 2016 the budget deficit in Armenia totaled 14.04 bln AMD ($28.7 mln), the National Statistical Service of Armenia reports. The budget deficit grew 2.5-fold as compared to Jan-Feb 2015.
The budget revenues of Armenia dropped by 2% to 155.6 bln AMD, while the expenditures rose by 4.1% to 169.9 bln AMD. In February alone, the budget deficit totaled 35.3 bln AMD, with revenues amounting to 79.9 bln AMD and expenditures - 115.2 bln AMD.
In Jan-Feb 2016 versus Jan-Feb 2015, the tax revenues were down by 2% to 149.6 bln AMD. Revenues from VAT dropped by 7.7% to 58.8 bln AMD, those from taxes for use of natural resources dropped by 51.7% to 1.98 bln AMD, those from profit tax were up 17.1% to 13.1 bln AMD, excise tax - up 11% to 7.4 bln AMD. The revenues from customs duties fell by 25% to 6.8 bln AMD, with those from income tax growing by 3.5% to 48.1 bln AMD. The revenues from fixed payments grew by 6.1%, from the turnover tax - by 31.6% - to 2.5 bln AMD, with those from target social payments - by 31.5% to 1.7 bln AMD.
In the meantime, the budget expenditures on acquisition of goods and services fell by 33.8% to 16.6 bln AMD, and those on non-financial assets - by 18.3% to 2.7 bln AMD. The share of subsidies in the budget expenditures rose over year 4.9-fold to 13.9 bln AMD, the interest payment on the government debt - by 16% to 9.8 bln AMD, the expenses on the grants - by 7.4% to 23.2 bln AMD, with those on benefitrs and pensions - by 5.5% to 63.1 bln AMD. The expenses on wages made up 17.2 bln AMD, with a 5.1% growth versus Jan-Feb 2015.