Tuesday, January 9 2018 10:03

ArmInfo. The budget deficit of Armenia in January-November 2017 amounted to 141.2 billion drams ($ 292.6 million), having decreased by 31.4% year-on-year, against growth of 21.5% year-on-year earlier. According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the revenues of the Armenian budget accelerated annual growth rates from 0.9% to 6%, amounting to 1108.4 billion drams, against which the costs changed the trend from 3.8% growth to 0.2% decline - to 1249.6 billion drams.

In the revenue structure, the share of taxes and duties increased year on year (from 11 months in 2017 to the same period in 2016) - from 93.3% to 94.1%, increasing by 6.9% in absolute terms to 1043.5 billion drams , 4% growth a year earlier). In particular, the annual dynamics improved with the exit from the downward trend in revenues from customs duties - from 10.8% decline by 30.4% growth to 65.5 billion drams, proceeds from payments for the use of natural resources and preservation of the surrounding the environment out of the 9.3% decline sharply went up by 38.8% growth - to 35.5 billion drams, income from the value-added tax changed dynamics from a 9.2% decline to a 5.1% growth - up to 371.8 billion drams.  At the same time, the upward trend kept receipts for income tax - by 1.2% - to 305.04 billion drams, turnover tax - 20.1% to AMD 16.8 billion, targeted social payments - by 18.3% to AMD 13.9 billion, excise tax - by 37.6% - to 73.8 billion drams, state duty - by 10.1% up to 32.3 billion drams, fixed payments - by 11.6% - up to 3.3 billion drams. The annual dynamics worsened only for income from income tax - from 21.2% growth to a 12.1% decline, the volume of which amounted to 99.7 billion drams.

Against this backdrop, budget expenditures entered a downward trend, and exclusively on such items as the purchase of goods and services - by 7.8% to 127.9 billion drams (against 36.8% decline a year earlier) and subsidies - by 7% to 97.1 billion drams (against growth of 4.7 times a year earlier). On non-financial assets, the dynamics came out of the 28.1% decline by 12.2% growth - to 126 billion drams. Interest payments on state debt almost kept the annual growth rates - 25.5% to 118.2 billion drams, of which 60.4 billion - on external debt, with a sharp slowdown in growth from 35.6% to 14.4%. Expenditures on allowances and pensions slowed the annual growth from 3.7% to 1.5%, amounting to 374.2 billion drams, and on wages - accelerated growth from 0.4% to 1.9%, amounting to 123 billion.  Note that the calculated exchange rate of the dram as of November 30, 2017 was 484.30 dr / $ 1, and in January-November the average calculated exchange rate of the dram was 482.67 dr / $ 1.