Current account deficit, up 38.15pct, to 5.135 bln euro, six months into 2019

The balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of 5.135 billion euro, in the first six months of this year, compared with last year's 3.717 billion euro, up 38, 15 pct, shows a press release of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) submitted to AGERPRES on Tuesday. 

Structurally, the balance of goods recorded a deficit by 1.486 billion euro higher, the balance of services registered a surplus by 104 million euro higher, the balance of primary incomes registered a deficit by 204 million euro lower, and the balance of secondary incomes recorded a surplus by 240 million euro lower. 

Between January and June 2019, the total external debt increased by 4.254 billion euro. Long-term external debt totaled 70.361 billion euro, as of June 30, 2019 (67.9 pct of total external debt), up 3.5 pct compared to December 31, 2018. The short-term external debt registered a level of 33,310. billion euro (32.1 pct of total foreign debt), up 5.9 pct as of December 31, 2018. 

Long-term external debt service ratio ran at at 19.2 pct in the period January - June 2019, against 21.2 pct in 2018.At end-June 2019, goods and services import cover stood at 4.6 months, as compared with 4.9 months at end-2018. 

At end-June 2019, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 73 pct, compared with 74.3 pct at end-2018.