NZ govt's 7-mth operating surplus beats forecast as jobs, spending fuel tax take

Thu, 03 Mar 2016

By Paul McBeth March 4 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand government's operating surplus for the first seven months of the financial year was bigger than expected as a recovery in the labour market and increased consumer spending plumped up the Crown's coffers. The operating balance before gains and losses (obegal) was a surplus of $934 million in the seven months ended Jan. 31, ahead of the $210 million forecast in the December half-year economic and fiscal update and the $77 million surplus a year earlier, according to the government's f...

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