General Government

According to the final data of the National Statistical Institute the General Government Institutional Sector reported in 2016 a deficit of 36 million BGN or 0.04% of GDP. The deficit in Central Government amounted to 130 million BGN or 0.14% of GDP. The Local Government subsector reported a surplus of 73 million BGN and the sub-sector Social Security Funds 21 million BGN.

Bulgaria's gross foreign debt totalled EUR 35.4 B at the end of August, equivalent to 82.2% of the estimated 2015 GDP, the central bank said on Monday.

The external debt figure was 8.2% lower than in August 2014 and 10.1% lower compared with the end of last year, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) said in a monthly debt report.

Greece: Prior Actions

Policy Commitments and Actions to be taken in consultation with EC/ECB/IMF staff:

1. 2015 supplementary budget and 2016-19 MTFS[1]

"General government debt 72.2 pct of GDP"

BELGRADE -- The Fiscal Council said in the December 2014 report that last year, the general government debt went up EUR 2.5 billion to EUR 23.2 billion (72.2pct of GDP).

The Fiscal Council - an independent state organ that reports to parliament - stated that changes in foreign exchange rates had contributed to such an increase in debt.

Bulgaria's gross foreign debt totalled EUR 38.2B as of end-August, increasing 2.2% from a year earlier and 2.3% higher compared with end-2013, the central bank has said.

Gross foreign debt was equivalent to 94.3% of projected 2014 Gross Domestic Product as of end-August, the Bulgarian National Bank said in a statement on Thursday.

In response to recent reports in the media claiming that unreliable statistics were published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, ELSTAT and Eurostat, regarding Greece’s annual fiscal figures for 2013 as these showed surpluses in social security funds and local government, the former sought to clarify matters in a statement released on Wednesday.