The June deficit was just over EUR 40m below the May figure, but at the same time much higher than in June 2012 when it only amounted to EUR 2.7m; the deficit edged just above EUR 849m in the first half of 2012.

Still, preliminary estimates released by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday show that the June deficit figure was the lowest this year, dropping from EUR 175.4m in May and EUR 262.8m in April.

However, the June figure does not yet reflect the effect of the agreement on the reduction of the wage bill in the public sector. Nor had higher VAT rates and other revenue-side measures taken effect yet.

What is more, at the beginning of the month refunds were paid out to public employees for last year's cut in holiday allowance and a part to pensioners for pension cuts that were annulled at courts.

Budget revenues added up to EUR 606.3m in June, which is nearly EUR 70m up from May, but nearly EUR 71m down on June 2012.

The first half of the year saw EUR 3.5bn in budget receipts, EUR 247m below the figure in the same period last year. The supplementary budget passed last week envisages revenues of almost EUR 8.1bn for the year.

Tax revenue amounted to EUR 532m in June, almost EUR 100m more than in May and about level with last year's figure. Tax receipts in the first six months totalled EUR 2.9bn, compared to EUR 3.1bn last year.

The country received EUR 395m in EU funds in the first half of the year, which compares to the goal of almost EUR 1.2bn for the whole year. Slovenia got EUR 407m from the EU budget in the first half of 2012.

Budget expenditure in June stood at EUR 741m, up EUR 29m from May and up EUR 67m on the same month a year ago.

Half-year expenditure amounted to EUR 4.8bn, which compares to EUR 4.6bn in the same period last year and to EUR 9.6bn planned for the whole 2013.

The state borrowed almost EUR 4.3bn in the first six months of the year and it paid nearly EUR 1.8bn of debt.