Surplus in 4 months to July

Central government of Jamaica’s fiscal operations, rack up a tidy surplus, in contrast to a sizeable deficit budgeted to July this year, data on the government’s operations, recently released show.
This development is unusual at this time of the year when deficits are usually racked up until the last fiscal quarter, the period when surplus revenues are generated.
The surplus was helped by an $11.4 billion in capital inflows showing up as divestment proceeds/other and is boosted by a near $6 billion increase in recurring revenues over forecast and a $7 billion underspending thus ensuring a healthy surplus for the 4 months period amounting to $5.4 billion, against a budgeted deficit of $7 billion. The critical primary surplus a major benchmark of the IMF agreement rest, ended at $38.6 billion versus $29 billion planned.
Also contributing to the positive outcome was a cut in non-payroll expenditure of $6 billion, reduced interest cost of $3.2 billion and positive tax revenues of $5.4 billion. Corporate taxes rose 34 percent above forecast adding $3.3 billion more than the $10 billion planned but corporations are not paying over tax withheld on dividend with only $386 million being paid versus projection of $506 million. Special Consumption Taxes on import fell $2.8 billion while the tax on local production rose by $3.5 billion, from forecast and travel taxes providing $1 billion more than planned.