site.btaFinance Ministry Reports Budget Deficit of BGN 2.829 Bln as of End-September

The Finance Ministry reported here on Thursday a budget deficit on a cash basis as of end-September of 2024 in the amount of BGN 2.829 billion.

Based on the monthly data on cash execution of first-level spending units’ budgets, the Consolidated Fiscal Programme (CFP) balance on a cash basis as of September 2024 is negative, amounting to BGN 2,829.9 million (1.4% of the projected GDP), the Ministry said on its website.

CFP revenues, grants and donations as of September 2024 amount to BGN 52,031.3 million, or 69.1% of the annual estimates. Proceeds grow by BGN 4,377.6 million, or 9.2%, compared to those reported in September 2023. Compared to the same period of 2023, tax revenues grow by BGN 4,917.9 million (13.2%) in nominal terms, non-tax revenues decrease by BGN 1,365.7 million (15.9%), while proceeds in the part of grants and donations (mainly grants under EU programmes and funds) increase by BGN 825.4 million.

Tax proceeds, including revenues from social security contributions, amount to BGN 42,291.9 million, which accounts for 73.0% of the estimates for the year, forming 81.3% of the overall CFP proceeds for the period. Direct tax revenues amount to BGN 8,414.2 million, which accounts for 65.4% of the estimates for 2024 and is an increase by BGN 1,012.3 million (13.7%) compared to the reports as of September 2023. Indirect tax revenues amount to BGN 18,855.3 million, which accounts for 73.9% of those planned in the Law on the 2024 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria and is an increase by BGN 2,403.1 million (14.6%) compared to those reported as of September 2023. Proceeds from other taxes, including other taxes under the Corporate Income Tax Law, property and other taxes, amount to BGN 1,810.2 million (including BGN 412.3 million under the budget of the Electricity System Security Fund as against BGN 802.8 million as of September 2023), which accounts for 97.8% of the annual estimates and is a decrease by BGN 326.1 million compared to the reports as of September 2023. Revenues from social security and health insurance contributions amount to BGN 13,212.2 million, or 74.5% of the estimates for 2024, representing an increase by BGN 1,828.6 million (16.1%) compared to the ones reported in the same period of 2023.

Non-tax revenues amount to BGN 7,218.8 million, which accounts for 70.4% of the annual estimates.

Grant and donation proceeds amount to BGN 2,520.5 million.

CFP expenditures, including the contribution of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU budget as of September 2024, amount to BGN 54,861.1 million, which accounts for 67.3% of the annual estimates. As per the individual expenditure items, there is an increase mainly in social expenditures due to the higher pensions paid following the increase effective as from July 2023 and July 2024, as well as in staff costs, following the increase in salaries for teaching staff and in other administrations with the 2023 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria Act and the 2024 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria Act, etc. 

The part of Bulgaria’s contribution to the EU budget paid from the central budget as of 30.09.2024 amounts to BGN 1,120.9 million, which complies with the existing legislation in the area of EU own resources.

The fiscal reserve as of 30.09.2024 is BGN 14,838.2 million, including BGN 13,401.6 million of fiscal reserve deposits in the BNB and in banks and BGN 1,436.6 million of receivables under the EU Funds for certified expenditures, advance payments, etc.

The Consolidated Fiscal Programme implementation data as of 30 September 2024 are published in the Statistics section on the website of the Ministry of Finance. The statistics is accompanied by an Information Bulletin on the Execution of the State Budget and the Main Indicators of the Consolidated Fiscal Programme, which represents a short analysis of the performance of the key budget parameters on a consolidated level and by constituent budgets.