Budget Shortfall at 4.3% of GDP in 2011, Govt Says

Ljubljana, 05 January (STA) - Slovenia's budget shortfall for 2011

appears to be lower than planned at 4.3% of GDP, according to data reviewed

by the outgoing government on Thursday.

Preliminary data on the implementation of the 2011 budget show that the

deficit for last year stood at EUR 1.535bn, which is EUR 155m less than

anticipated in the supplementary budget passed in September 2011, the

government said in a press release.

The deficit represents 4.3% of

GDP, which is 0.4 percentage points less than had been anticipated in the

budget document.

The better-than-expected deficit figure was achieved

despite budget revenues falling short of plans.

The budget envisaged

revenues of EUR 7.964bn, whereas actual revenues stood at EUR 7.831bn, the

data show.

But spending lagged behind plans even more, with actual

expenditure at EUR 9.364bn, which is EUR 288m less than envisaged in the

budget, due mostly to lower-than-expected investment transfers.

The

latter amounted to EUR 500m, which is EUR 145m below plans.

On the

revenue side, tax income amounted to EUR 6.576bn, which is EUR 74m less

than anticipated in the budget.

At EUR 710m revenues from the EU

budget fell EUR 90m short of plans, but still made for the highest amount

Slovenia has drawn from the EU since it joined the bloc in 2004, the

government said.