The central bank, in a report, said that the state budget had recorded a primary surplus of 2.8 billion euros in the corresponding period last year.

On central government level, the budget recorded a deficit of 1.27 billion euros in the first four months of 2014, from a shortfall of 5.2 billion euros last year.

Regular budget revenues totaled 14.433 billion euros in the January-April period, up from 13.644 billion euros in 2013, while regular budget spending fell to 16.245 billion euros, from 19.338 billion euros, over the same periods, respectively.