Covered, overtook the palace by 1.5 billion lira

While citizens were working hard to pay the tax to close the hole in the budget, the interest burden made things difficult again. According to the May budget realization results of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, budget revenues remained at 1 trillion 86 billion liras in May, while budget expenses increased to 1 trillion 384 billion liras. Thus, the May budget, which had a surplus of 235 billion lira last year, was closed with a deficit of 298 billion lira.

INVESTMENTS HIT

In the first 5 months of this year, total budget revenues reached 6 trillion 277 billion liras, thanks to 5.3 trillion taxes collected from the public. However, in the same period, when 7 trillion 335 billion liras were spent from the budget, the budget had a deficit of 1 trillion 57 billion liras. The money paid for interest from the budget increased by 51.1 percent compared to last year and reached 1 trillion 262 billion liras.

Austerity policies in the public sector hit investments more. The state’s investment expenditures under the name of capital expenditure increased by only 1.3 percent compared to last year, from 349 billion lira to 353.2 billion lira, despite high inflation.

PENALTIES HAVE BEEN DOUBLED

While the increase in tax revenues in the first 5-month period was 32.4 percent, the state’s income from interest, shares and penalties increased by 63.4 percent compared to the same period last year, rising from 335 billion lira to 539.9 billion lira. On the other hand, collection from public receivables decreased from 2.8 billion lira to 895 million lira.

In 5 months, 13.2 billion lira was paid for rent, 726 million for representation and entertainment, 3.9 billion for maintenance and repair of movable goods, 2.4 billion for real estate maintenance and repair, 144 billion for public enterprises, 610 billion for SSI, 501 million for associations and unions, and 199 billion for contractors in 5 months.

DISCOVERED ALLOWANCE BREAKED A RECORD

Covert appropriation expenditures, whose spending authority belongs only to President Tayyip Erdoğan, amounted to 1 billion 695 million 210 thousand liras in May. In the first 5 months of this year, the expenditure made from the covert appropriation increased by 66 percent compared to last year and reached 9 billion 178 million liras. The 5-month expenditure made from the covert appropriation exceeded the Presidential budget, which spent 7.6 billion in the same period. The total expenditure from the two budgets reached 16 billion 817 million liras. In the same period last year, this amount was 11.5 billion lira.

2.9 BILLION IN FEBRUARY

The highest expenditure this year from the ‘confidential service expense’ appropriation was made in February with 2 billion 960 million liras. The expenditure made from this appropriation was 5.5 billion lira in the first 5 months of last year and 14.7 billion lira for the whole year. In the first 5 months of this year, the expenditure from the Presidential budget increased by 27 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 7 billion 638 million lira. Thus, the 9.2 billion expenditure made from the covert appropriation exceeded the expenditure made from the Presidential budget by 1 billion 540 million liras.