The Finance Ministry announced that the Greek budget recorded a primary surplus of 1.797 billion euros in the first six months of the year.

According to a report issued on budget execution, the primary surplus totalled 1.8 billion euros from January to June this year compared to a primary deficit of 1.9 billion euros in the corresponding period in 2013 (if we exclude the overdue debt repayment program, the primary surplus totalled 2.2 billion euros).

Depute Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said “the country, for the second successive year, recorded high and sustainable primary surpluses, which confirms that its public finances were stabilizing, safeguarding the basic and necessary condition for economic recovery through the painful sacrifices made by the Greek households and enterprises”.

According to Mr. Staikouras “We now face a new big challenge. To transform, as soon as possible, stabilization into a dynamic and sustainable growth, with social cohesion. To succeed this we all need to work hard and it is required convergence and a national plan to enable our country to emerge from the steep tunnel it has been during the past few years.”