YEREVAN, October 29. /ARKA/. Armenian government budget deficit was 1.8% in 2013, a negligible increase compared to the last year level of 1.5%, chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Arhtur Javadyan said at the parliament hearing on budget Monday.

Under the 2013 budget approved by the parliament on December 5 2012, revenues were 1 trln. 32.7bln drams and expenditures were 1 trln 152.5bln drams. Deficit was planned as 119.7bln or 2.6% of GDP.

Javadyan said the planned level of revenues and tax collection in particular, has been exceeded in the seven months of 2013.

The savings contributed to a 7.1% increase in on-budget expenditures, he said.

Armenia’s government budget was executed with a surplus of about 62.3 billion drams in January-August 2013. Budget revenues rose by 108.5bln drams or 18.5% as compared to the same period of 2012 to 696.3 billion drams. Tax and duty collection amounted to about 657 billion drams in the period.

Expenditures rose by 7.6% or 44.9 billion drams to 634 billion drams in the reporting period. ($1=405.76drams).–0--