2010.11.1509:21:00UTC+00Estonia's 9-Month Budget Deficit At 0.7% Of GDP

Estonia's general government budget deficit amounted to 1.6 billion kroons during the first nine months of the year, which is 0.7% of this year's gross domestic product, data from the Finance Ministry showed Monday.

In September, the budget deficit was 194.6 million kroons, around 0.1% of the GDP. The ministry expects the deficit to be 1.3% of GDP this year.

Estonia is set to join the 16-nation euro currency bloc as its 17th member from January next year. Estonia's general government deficit fell to 1.7% of GDP, below the 3% EU threshold, in 2009 and the gross debt level stood at 7.2% of GDP.

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