NZ govt 6-month operating deficit bigger than expected as tax take trickles in

NZ govt 6-month operating deficit bigger than expected as tax take trickles in
By Paul McBeth Feb. 21 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand government’s operating deficit was wider than expected in the first half of the 2014 financial year, with a smaller than forecast tax take across the board confusing officials as to whether this was a temporary anomaly or something more permanent. The Crown’s operating balance before gains and losses (obegal) was a deficit of $1.79 billion in the six months ended Dec. 31, $380 million wider than forecast in its Dec. 17 half-year economic and fiscal update, and down from a shortfall of $...