Agência Brasil*
Brasília – The economy of the public sector (federal government, states, cities and state-owned companies) to honour their financial engagements and payment of interest on their debts, the so-called primary surplus, reached 18.712 billion reals (US$ 11 billion at current exchange rates) in April. In the same period of last year, the primary surplus had been R$ 23.458 billion reals (US$ 14 billion).
According to the Central Bank, this year the primary surplus has already reached R$ 61.743 billion reals (US$ 37 billion). In the same quarter of last year, the result was 50.732 billion reals (US$ 30 billion).
In the month, the central government (federal government, Central Bank and Social Security) was the main contributor to the result, with 16.861 billion reals (US$ 10 billion). Regional governments (states and cities) economized 2.459 billion reals (US$ 1.4 billion). State-owned companies presented a primary deficit of 608 million reals (US$ 365 million).
Up to April, the payment of interest reached R$ 54.858 billion reals (US$ 33 billion). In the same quarter of last year the payment of interest totalled 51.136 billion reals (US$ 31 billion). In the month of April, interest paid by the consolidated public sector reached 14.879 billion reals (US$ 9 billion), against 12.238 billion reals (US$ 7 billion) registered in the same month last year.
The Central Bank of Brazil also informed that the public sector has returned to registering a nominal surplus (revenues minus expenses, including expenses with interest). Figures disclosed by the organisation today (28) show that in April the result was 3.842 billion reals (US$ 2 billion). In the accumulated result for the year, the nominal surplus was 6.885 billion reals (US$ 4 billion).
In the first quarter of last year, the public sector had registered a nominal deficit of 405 million reals (US$ 243 million). In April last year, the result was 11.173 billion reals (US$ 7 billion) in nominal surplus.
*Translated by Mark Ament