Current account deficit up 15.6pct seven months into 2018, external debt up 4.1 bln euro

The balance of payments' current account recorded a 4.811 bln euro deficit January through July 2018, up 15.59pct as compared to the similar period of 2017, a release by the National bank of Romania (BNR) sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, informs. 

In the same period of the last year, the current account deficit parked at 4.162 bln euro. 

According to BNR, the goods' balance in structure saw a deficit higher by 999 million euro, the services' balance recorded a surplus smaller by 255 million euro, the primary incomes' balance registered a deficit down by 820 million euro, and the secondary incomes' balance saw a deficit smaller by 215 million euro. 

From January to July 2018, the total external debt grew by 4.105 billion euro. In structure, the long-term external debt counted for 66.959 bln euro at 31 July 2018 (68.6pct of the external debt's total), down 2.4pct against 31 December 2017. The short-term external debt parked on 31 July 2018 at 30.623 bln euro (31.4pct of the external debt's total), up 23.2pct against 31 December 2017.