The finance ministry has confirmed that Hungary’s cash flow-based budget deficit, excluding local councils, reached HUF 1,043.6 billion at the end of April, narrowing from the previous month on a HUF 100.5 billion April surplus.
In a detailed reading of data released on Friday, the ministry said spending on pandemic-related measures exceeded HUF 398.8 billion by the end of April. Other expenditures included HUF 86.1 billion in grants to boost competitiveness amid the coronavirus crisis among other items.
Amendments to the 2021 budget submitted by the government in April raise the full-year cash flow-based deficit target to HUF 2,287.7 billion. The detailed report shows that payouts for EU-funded projects came to HUF 743.4 billion at the end of April, while transfers from Brussels were HUF 153.5 billion. The central budget shortfall was HUF 890 billion at the end of April, while the social insurance funds were HUF 139.1 billion in the red and separate state funds showed a HUF 14.5 billion deficit.