SERBIAN GOVERNMENT SPENDING RAISES MEDIUM TERM RISK

UNCLAS BELGRADE 001061 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN KPRV SR SUBJECT: SERBIAN GOVERNMENT SPENDING RAISES MEDIUM TERM RISK ref: Belgrade 799 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Adoption of the 2007 budget on June 23, along with issuance of a memorandum of economic policies for 2008-2010, makes it clear that fiscal tightening will take place, at best, only in the medium term. The GOS outlook assumes a further increase in wages, which will fuel the growing trade and current account deficits. NBS Governor Jelasic responded with a pledge to tighten monetary policy to keep core inflation in the target range of 4-8 percent for 2007. However, the central bank chose not to raise the repo rate at its July 27 session. Standard and Poor's issued a minor downgrade of Serbia, and economists warn that the current account deficit could reach 20 percent of GDP in 2007. End Summary Finance Minister: Freezing Wages - Later -------------- ¶2. (U) Serbia's Parliament on June 23 approved substantially intact the 2007 budget reported in reftel. The budget projects increased expenditures of 18 percent in nominal terms, for a fiscal consolidated public sector deficit of 0.5 percent of GDP (vice 0.6 percent deficit for central government reported reftel). However, others project that the budget will produce a fiscal deficit approaching 2.5-3 percent of GDP, adjusted for one-off revenues and repayment of pension debt that was placed "below the line." Stojan Stamenkovic, an influential macroeconomist, had called for cutting at least 1 percent of GDP, to no avail. ¶3. (U) On July 5, new Finance Minister Cvetkovic presented a Memorandum on the Budget and Economic and Fiscal Policies for 2008-2010 that laid out basic macroeconomic goals for the period: decreasing the current account deficit from a projected 13.9 percent in 2007 to 10.3 percent in 2010, reducing inflation from a projected 6.5 percent in 2007 to 4 percent in 2010, and decreasing the share of public consumption in GDP by 1.7 percentage points in 2008 and 0.5 percentage points in 2009. This gradual retrenchment would be achieved via a freeze in public salaries after November 2007, curbing procurement of goods and services by 10 percent of the 2007 outlay, reducing subsidies by 5 percent, and cutting public investment by 20 percent of the 2007 level. The deficit of the consolidated public sector (including local governments) would decline to 0.1 percent of GDP in 2008, vice 0.5 in 2007. Public sector wages will be frozen only after implementation of all increases approved by the previous government, resulting in a projected increase of 15 percent in the wage bill for 2008. Nonetheless, Cvetkovic maintained that the projected 2008 budget would not disrupt macroeconomic stability. Finance Deputy: Consumption Unsustainable -------------- 4.(SBU) However, others in the government are less optimistic. New Finance Ministry State Secretary Janko Guzian (protect),a former IMF employee, recently told econ chief that freezing salaries in November is not sufficient to curb the deficit. He explained that current policy would produce a 2008 budget deficit of 2.5-3 percent of GDP; closing the gap would require further expenditure cuts (mostly from the National Investment Plan) as well as increasing the value-added tax from 18 percent to 20 percent in 2008. He estimates that the budget needs EUR 600-700 million annually in privatization revenues to hold the fiscal deficit to 3 percent of GDP; consequently, the Finance Ministry will push for privatization. Another difficult issue is a provision in the Constitution requiring that the province of Vojvodina get 7 percent of budget revenues, an obligation implemented in 2007 through creative accounting. Central Bank Weighs Tighter Monetary Policy -------------- ¶5. (U) National Bank of Serbia Governor Jelasic stated publicly that current fiscal policy will not contribute to macroeconomic stability and that, as a result, the central bank will have to tighten monetary policy in order to achieve its main goal: to keep core inflation within the target range of 4-8 percent. June inflation statistics showed an uptick, with inflation for the year ending June 30 at 5.1 percent, from 4.4 percent in May, while core inflation was up 0.5 percent just in June, after virtually no increase in the first quarter. ¶6. (U) Under the National Bank's inflation targeting policy, the most likely policy change would be an increase in the rate on two-week dinar repurchase agreements. The rate has declined steadily, to 9.5 percent, from above 15 percent in December. The monetary policy council will meet again on July 27. Analysts point out that a monetary tightening is likely, but they also note that a higher repo rate typically attracts more capital inflows, driving up the dinar and stimulating imports. Analysts: Current Account Deficit to 20 Percent -------------- --- 7.(U) Stamenkovic, of the Economic Institute, explained that current economic trends, if they continue, will result in import growth of 40 percent in 2007 over 2006, a trade deficit of 29 percent of GDP (vice the projected 19 percent),and a current account deficit of 20 percent of GDP (vs projected 13.9 percent in Memorandum of Economic Policies). Monetary policy likely will be tightened, he believes. He even sees a modest risk on external financing of the current account deficit if non-tax revenues, e.g., privatization revenues, are not forthcoming. ¶8. (U) However, despite medium-term risks, current economic trends appear encouraging. Industrial production has recorded unusually steady growth since the beginning of the year, up 4.5-5 percent over the previous year; this upturn likely is a result of privatization and restructuring. For the first time in a long period, Serbian companies reported, overall, a net profit for 2006. GDP growth in the first quarter of 2007 was 8.7 percent. Exports were up 44.9 percent, although the 39.8 percent growth in imports resulted in a 35 percent increase in the trade deficit. STANDARD AND POOR'S TAKES NOTE -------------- ¶9. (U) Rating agency Standard and Poor's took note of the 2007 budget with a July 10 downgrade of the outlook for Serbia from positive to stable, although the actual ratings of sovereign credit, unsecured debt and foreign currency debt were unchanged. (In rating agency practice, this means that S&P no longer is leaning toward an upgrade of Serbia.) The rating cited "a loosening fiscal policy that exacerbates the Republic's rising external imbalances." It identified the key issues in the outlook as whether a) the GOS could contain domestic spending and rising external imbalances, and b) resolution of Kosovo's final status could jeopardize Serbia's political and economic stability. ¶10. (SBU) Comment. If economic trends continue to be favorable, and reforms continue at a moderate pace, Serbia's new government probably can deal comfortably with the increased risks it has raised through expansive fiscal policy. Nevertheless, the external risks are, to some extent, vulnerable to shifts in the political outlook. Serbia needs generous inflows of foreign direct investment to finance its current account deficit and sustain growth. The central bank's sterilization has reached about USD 2.5 billion, a stock that must be rolled over every two weeks. The willingness of banks - and the foreign investors who invest through the banks - to keep their money in the repo is subject to change. And the dinar itself has a history that Serbian savers have not forgotten. POLT