Brasília – The primary surplus, revenues minus expenses, excluding debt interest, of the consolidated public sector – federal government, states, cities and state-owned companies – reached US$ 1.273 billion in May, according to figures disclosed on Tuesday (29) by the Central Bank (BC). The result is much lower than that registered in the same month in 2011, which was R$ 7.506 billion.
In the first five months of the year, the primary surplus was R$ 62.865 billion (US$ 30.2 billion), against R$ 64.82 billion (US$ 31.1 billion) from January to April 2011. In the 12 months ending in May, the result was R$ 126.756 billion (US$ 60.9 billion), which represents 2.97% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The target for this year is R$ 139.8 billion (US$ 67 billion).
The public sector’s final effort was not enough to cover the costs with nominal interest on the debt. This interest is R$ 18.717 billion (US$ 9 billion) in May and accumulated R$ 94.908 billion (US$ 45.6 billion) in the five months of the year. With this, the nominal deficit, revenues minus expenses, including interest, was R$ 16.064 billion last month, and R$ 32.043 billion from January to May.
*Translated by Mark Ament
