Three-quarter current account deficit up 45.27 pct higher YoY

The current account of Romania's Jan. - Sept. balance of payments ran a deficit of 4.191 billion euro, up 45.27 percent from the 2.885 billion euro registered in the same period of 2016, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) said in a release on Monday. 

The goods deficit was by 1.7 bln euro higher, the surplus of services was by 294 million euro less, and the surplus of the balance of services was also by 42 million euro higher. The primary income deficit was by 562 million euro lower and the surplus of secondary revenues was by 210 million euro lower, the BNR said in the release. 

The total external debt over January - September 2017 increased by 294 million euro. 

The country's long-term external debt totaled 68.965 bln euro (74 pct of the total external debt) as of Sept. 30, 2017, down 1 pct from December 31, 2016. The short-term external debt stood at 24.239 billion euro as of the end of September (26 percent of total external debt), up by 4.2 percent from December 31, 2016. 

The long-term external debt service ratio was 22.6 percent between January - September 2017 compared with 30 percent in 2016. The goods and services import cover was 5.6 months as of September 30, 2017, as to 6.3 months registered on December 31, 2016. 

At the end of September 30, 2017, the ratio of BNR's foreign exchange reserves to the short-term external debt by remaining maturity was 89.5 percent, compared to 90.5 percent at the end of 2016.AGERPRES .