Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

The exports from Georgia amounted to about $400 million in the first quarter of 2013, which is $16 million more than in the first quarter of 2012, Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri said at a press conference Wednesday.

Remarkably, in January, a 27 percent growth was recorded in the country.

During the first quarter of 2013, the consolidated budget surplus amounted to 168.8 million Georgian lari (GEL). A significant amount, 1.1 million Georgian lari, is currently derived from the treasury. This amount will be directed to the implementation of the approved budget, more precisely, its expenditure part.

Khaduri also said that the tax revenues of the consolidated budget in the first quarter of 2013 exceeded the performance plan by GEL 63.5 million compared to the same figure in 2012, according to commercial.ge website.

According to Khaduri, budget performance and positive tendencies in macroeconomic indicators confirm that the country has improved its economic environment; business activity has increased, including the turnover of small and medium-sized enterprises.

"Q1 2013 data shows that budget performance will face no problems and the government will fulfill its obligations," Khaduri said.

Meanwhile, the state statistics office Geostat reported that Georgia's annual inflation remained negative -- at -2.1 percent in March, civil.ge website said on Wednesday.

Prices on food and non-alcoholic beverages were down by 3.1 percent in March and there was an 8.2 percent decline in prices for housing, water, electricity and gas. Transportation prices decreased 2.3 percent last month.

According to the released figures, the prices on healthcare services increased by 3.3 percent and the prices on hotels and restaurants went up 2 percent in March.