Brazil central govt posts $8 billion deficit in February

(Reuters) – Brazil’s central government reported a primary budget deficit in February of 40.989 billion reais ($8.02 billion), the Treasury said on Thursday, above the median forecast of a 35.7 billion reais deficit in a Reuters poll.

The monthly result was 90.6% higher than the same period the previous year, when the country registered a deficit of 20.367 billion reais, it said in a statement.

The country’s Treasury and the central bank posted a deficit of 19.943 billion reais, while social security showed a deficit of 21.046 billion reais, the Treasury added.

In the 12-month period, the central government’s primary surplus reached 35.9 billion reais.

($1 = 5.1089 reais)

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis)