PRAGUE, May 2 (Reuters) - The Czech central state budget
posted a 200.0 billion crowns ($9.30 billion) deficit at the end
of April, the worst fourth-month result on record, Finance
Ministry data showed on Tuesday.
The deficit doubled from a 100.1 billion crowns a year ago.
Overall expenditure rose 26.7% due to higher welfare
payments and the government's assistance for people and
companies hit by increased energy prices - increasing the
spending by 88.8 billion crowns combined, the ministry said.
The state also paid higher interest on inflation-related
government bonds as price growth maintained double-digit pace,
easing only to 15.0% year-on-year in March. April inflation data
is due on May 11.
Budget revenue increased by 11.4% and did not cover the
higher spending as the government has collected less than
expected from a windfall taxon energy firms and banks.
(Reporting by Robert Muller, editing by Jan Lopatka)
robert.muller.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
