DOHA - (Xinhua) - Official data showed today (Thursday) that Qatar's budget recorded a surplus of 47.3 billion riyals (about 12.99 billion dollars) at the end of the first half of this year, compared to 4 billion riyals (1.1 billion dollars) for the same period last year. Supported by oil and gas revenues.

The data issued today by the Qatari Ministry of Finance indicated that this surplus was distributed to 33.7 billion riyals (one US dollar equals approximately 3.64 riyals) during the second quarter of the year 2022, or the three months ending on June 30, and 13.6 billion riyals in the first quarter of the year. The same ending on March 31st.

According to ministry figures published by official media, public revenues grew by 58.3 percent at the end of the first half of this year to 150.7 billion riyals, distributed among 85.7 billion riyals in the second quarter and 65 billion riyals in the first quarter.

This growth was supported by an increase in oil and gas revenues by 67 percent, to record 117.6 billion riyals, compared to 70.4 billion riyals for the first half of last year, while non-oil revenues amounted to 33.1 billion riyals, distributed among 27.5 billion riyals during the second quarter of this year and 5.6 billion riyals in the quarter. the first.

On the other hand, total expenditures amounted to 103.4 billion riyals during the first half of this year, an increase of 13.6 percent on an annual basis, and were distributed among 52 billion riyals in the second quarter and 51.4 billion riyals in the first quarter.

The International Monetary Fund had expected that the surplus of the general budget of the State of Qatar next year would reach 70.3 billion riyals (19.3 billion US dollars), compared to 44.6 billion riyals (12.3 billion dollars) for the current year, an increase of 57.6 percent.

The fund estimated that Qatar would record almost stability in its expenditures during the year 2023, to reach 235.4 billion riyals, compared to expenditures worth 236 billion riyals in the current year, and that it would achieve an increase in its revenues next year by about 9.4 percent, to reach about 306.3 billion riyals, compared to 280 billion riyals this year. general.

He attributed this to the increase in revenues from investment revenues of public companies by 121.4 billion riyals next year, compared to 82.3 billion riyals in 2022, while it is expected that revenues from oil will reach about 54 billion riyals, and revenues from liquefied natural gas will reach about 73.3 billion riyals.