This balance is 1.0 percentage point of GDP higher than the one registered in the same quarter in 2011, the bank said in its weekly report.
This result was due to the increase in the current revenue of the general government (0.4 percentage points of GDP) and to the decline in the non-financial expenditure of the general government (0.3 percentage points of GDP), particularly the investments and purchases of goods
and services of the national government.
In the same period, the current account deficit in the balance of payments amounted to US$982 million (2.1 percent of GDP).
The trade surplus amounted to US$2.11 billion due to increased volumes of exports of both traditional and non-traditional products, which offset the lower international prices of
the major commodities.
This favored the generation of profits in companies with foreign
shareholding, which amounted to US$ 2.99 billion in this quarter.
(END) JJN/GCO/EEP