Uruguay’s budget fiscal deficit soared to 1.35 billion dollars or 2.8% of GDP last year, the highest since 2003, propped by energy costs, extraordinary one time payments and support for the recently implemented national health scheme, according to a release from the Ministry of Economy.
Uruguayan supermarkets pledged to help the government of President Jose Mujica to keep inflation below 10% at the end of the year even when in the first nine months of the year it reached 8.64%.
The Uruguayan economy experienced a slight deceleration in the second quarter of this year, but with an overall positive evolution. GDP increased 0.8% over the previous quarter and 3.8% over the same quarter a year ago, according to the latest release from the Central bank.
Uruguay's central bank said on Monday it will raise marginal reserve requirements on local and foreign currency deposits from Aug. 1 as part of its efforts to bring inflation within the official target range.
The Uruguayan economy is set to grow 3.57% in 2012 which is below the government’s forecast according to the latest analysts and businesspeople poll published last Friday by the central bank.
Uruguay’s Economy minister Fernando Lorenzo expressed concern about the deteriorating indicators from the Argentine economy which could have a negative impact on the country’s activity.
Uruguay’s flagship carrier Pluna said on Thursday that is was “suspending all flights indefinitely” and announced that 720 of the 900 staff would be sent on unemployment pay until a new associate for the company is found or the airline is definitively sold.
Risk rating agency Standard & Poor’s praised Uruguay’s fiscal moderation in the last eight years since the budget’s fiscal deficit has been below 2% of GDP but criticized the “political limitations” which impede the achievement of a better performance.
Uruguayan Minister of Economy Fernando Lorenzo expressed deep concern regarding events in Europe and warned that “the longer the delay in effectively analyzing the cost of the crisis” then everything will work out “much costlier”.
Uruguay and Argentina agreed to exchange tax data in a deal that gives Argentine inspectors the power to dig up information on savers with bank accounts in the neighbouring country, officials said on Tuesday.