Greece comfortably beats budget target for first six months of 2014

Greece beat its budget target for the first half of the year, with a primary surplus of 712 million euros, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

This figure was far better than the government’s target of a 635-million-euro deficit.

“Fiscal targets are being met for a third consecutive year,» said Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras.

The figure, which does not include interest payments, was in contrast with a 1.5-billion-euro deficit during the first six months of 2013.

The government΄s revenue income rose to 23.6 billion euros in January to June from 22.6 billion a year earlier. Spending fell to 26.03 billion in the first six months of the year, from 27.6 billion previously.