MINISTRY OF FINANCE: ARMENIAN BUDGET DEFICIT AT 6.5-7% IN 2009
ARKA
Sep 30, 2009
YEREVAN, September 30. /ARKA/. Armenian budget deficit is expected
at about 6.5-7% by the end of this year, the country’s Minister of
Finance Tigran Davtyan said.
"We were attracting funds from external sources to compensate for
the gap between incomes and expenditures. It was not easy, even the
parliament allowed us bringing the budget deficit to 7.5%. I think
we will manage to maintain the deficit within this range and will
have deficit at 6.5-7% by the end of the year," the Minister told a
press conference Tuesday.
This will enable the government maintaining its anti-cyclic policy
and social and defense expenditures’ level, Davtyan said.
On-budget expenditures are to total 900-910 billion drams in 2009,
hence the main part will be fulfilled (planned budget expenditures
at 945 billion drams), he said.
The government responded to the crisis promptly and part of the
expenditures (e.g. on state machine and procurement of equipment)
was deferred. Yet, no expenditure related to promotion of the economy
has been postponed, Davtyan said.