ArmInfo. In January-April 2024, RA state budget expenditures increased by 31.9% or 197.4 billion drams - up to 817 billion drams. The indicator increased mainly due to an increase in payments on interest rates, pensions and social benefits.
According to the Ministry of Finance, during the reporting period, current expenses increased from last year's 543.2 billion drams to 1,207.2 billion drams (86% of all expenses), transactions on non-financial assets reached 196.4 billion drams from 76.5 billion drams in 2023. Compared to the same period last year, the increase in the last indicator by 11.5% (8.8 billion drams) is due to an increase in capital expenditures, which is mainly due to improved construction conditions of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and the cost of improving the road network.
63.1 billion drams were allocated for salaries of state employees (56.2 billion drams in 2023), 50.9% or 328.6 billion drams (219.1 billion last year) for social payments and pensions. Expenses for servicing government debt increased by 5.1% - to 135.4 billion drams over the year (43.1 billion drams in 2023), and subsidy programs required 50.4 billion drams, instead of 42.5 billion drams in 2023.
In January-April 2024, the RA state budget was executed with a surplus of 46.3 million drams against a deficit of 51.7 billion drams planned for the first half of the year and a surplus of 170.2 billion drams for the same period last year. The low level of the deficit compared to the planned half-year indicator is mainly due to higher revenues compared to expenses, as a result of which free budget funds planned in internal sources of financing increased by $74.1 billion dram. In addition, a low figure was recorded for loans received from external sources, which amounted to 12.7 billion drams or 27.7% of the six-year plan. In the reporting period, financing of the state budget deficit from funds raised from internal sources of financing was ensured through net income from the placement of treasury bonds, which amounted to 69.5 billion drams.
Thus, in January-April 2024, financing of the budget deficit from internal sources using net financial assets amounted to 76 billion drams against the 5.4 billion drams planned in the first half of the year, which is mainly due to the use of free budget funds in internal sources of financing instead of 7.5 billion drams planned for first quarter (use) with the addition of 74.1 billion drams. According to the six-year program, RA residents were provided with loans in the amount of 12.1 billion drams, of which 3.9 billion drams were provided during the reporting period, of which 3.5 billion drams were provided from internal resources. As part of programs implemented with external support, loans worth 449.7 million drams were provided in the reporting period against more than 8.6 billion drams planned for the first half of the year, of which 195.9 million drams were for urban development, 242.6 million drams - for the development of the electric power system and 11.2 million drams are provided within the framework of solid waste management projects. About 6 billion drams were returned for loans provided to residents from the state budget in January-April, compared to 14 billion drams planned for the first half of the year.
In the reporting period, the RA state budget deficit was financed by net funds raised from external sources, which amounted to 12.7 billion drams or 27.7% of the planned figure for the first half of the year.
