The state budget shows a primary surplus of 2.773 billion euros in January, as announced by the Ministry of Finance.

Specifically, according to the state budget execution data, on a modified cash basis, for the period of January 2023, there is a surplus in the state budget balance of 1.480 billion euros against a target for a surplus of 917 million euros that has been included for the corresponding period of 2023 in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget and a deficit of 1.199 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2022.

The primary result came in at a surplus of 2.773 billion euros, against a target of a primary surplus of 2.147 billion euros and a primary surplus of 15 million euros for the same period in 2022.

Specifically, the announcement of the Ministry of Finance states the following:

The amount of net revenues of the state budget amounted to 7,166 million euros, showing an increase of 574 million euros or 8.7% compared to the estimate for the corresponding period included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget. This increase is mainly due to increased tax revenue and is achieved despite the increase observed in tax revenue refunds.

The total revenues of the state budget amounted to 7,611 million euros, increased by 758 million euros or 11.1% against the target.

More specifically, the revenues of the major categories of the state budget are as follows:

A. Income from the “Taxes” category amounted to 4,928 million euros, increased by 525 million euros or 12% compared to the target included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget.

Specifically in the month of January 2023, the following are observed for the main taxes of this category:

• VAT revenues amounted to 2,277 million euros and are higher than the target by 246 million euros.

• The revenues of the Social Insurance Institutions amounted to 492 million euros and are reduced compared to the target by 34 million euros.

• Real estate tax revenues amounted to 120 million euros and are 17 million euros short of the target.

• Income tax revenues amounted to 1,475 million euros, and are increased against the target by 261 million euros.

B. Income from the “Social Contributions” category they reached 5 million euros according to the target.

C. The income of the “Transfers” category amounted to 2,336 million euros, increased by 120 million euros compared to the target included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget. An amount of 1,718 million euros concerns the disbursement of the expected second tranche of 2022, from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (Recovery and Resilience Fund), in the context of “Greece 2.0”, while an amount of 592 million euros concerns PDE revenues, which are increased by 109 million euros compared to the target.

D. The income of the “Sales of goods and services” category amounted to 70 million euros, increased by 3 million euros compared to the target included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget.

E. The income of the “Other current income” category amounted to 272 million euros, increased by 111 million euros compared to the target included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget. Of the 272 million euros, an amount of 9 million euros concerns PDE revenues, which are reduced by 23 million. euros against the target.

F. In the category “Sales of fixed assets” no income was recorded, as was foreseen in the target.

Revenue returns totaled €445 million, up €184 million from the target (€261 million).

The total revenues of the Public Investment Budget (PDE) amounted to 601 million euros, increased by 86 million euros from the target (515 million euros).

The expenses of the State Budget for the period of January 2023 amounted to 5,686 million euros and are presented increased by 12 million euros compared to the target (5,674 million euros), which has been included in the introductory report of the 2023 Budget, while they are presented increased, in relation to in the corresponding period of 2022, by 632 million euros, mainly due to increased regular budget transfers by 615 million euros.

In the section of the Regular Budget, the payments are presented increased compared to the target by 110 million euros. This development is mainly due to the front-loaded transfer of resources to hospitals amounting to 176 million euros. Also noteworthy is the grant to the Information Society M.A.E. in the amount of 325 million euros, with a redistribution of credits from the reserve of actions to deal with the energy crisis, to serve the needs of the Market Pass, for the first months of its implementation, as well as the deferral of payments for the costs of equipment programs in the amount of 298 million euros .

Payments in the investment expenditure arm amounted to EUR 648 million, showing an underperformance of EUR 99 million. The expenditure of the PDE includes an amount of 22 million euros to service COVID-19 measures, the most important of which, numerically, is the subsidy of existing small and medium enterprises in the retail trade sector, which maintain a physical store, for the development, upgrade and management of an online store.