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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 20, 1993                   TAG: 9303200076
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

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U.S. DEFICIT DOWN SINCE FEBRUARY '92

The U.S. government posted a deficit of $47.594 billion in February, down slightly from a year ago, the Treasury said Friday.

Five months into the fiscal year, the U.S. deficit is $138.245 billion, down from the $148.650 billion through the first five months of fiscal 1992.

The February gap follows a January surplus of $29.812 billion and is down from the deficit of $49.174 billion in February 1992.

Outlays in February totaled $113.788 billion, up from $82.996 billion in January and $111.230 billion in February 1992.

Receipts amounted to $66.194 billion, down from $112.809 billion in January but up from $62.056 billion in February 1992.

In financing the deficit in February, the Treasury borrowed $30.689 billion from the public.

Treasury said individual income tax receipts totaled $23.947 billion in February, compared with $22.213 billion in February 1992 and $73.704 billion in January.

Treasury also reported:

Social Security outlays totaled $25.070 billion, compared with $731 million in January and $23.755 billion in February 1992. The January number was skewed because that month's payments were made on Dec. 31.

Interest paid on the public debt was $16.813 billion, down from $18.062 billion in January and $17.755 billion in February 1992.

Unemployment trust fund outlays totaled $3.519 billion, down from $3.584 billion in January and $3.880 in February 1992.

Earned income tax credit payments rose $2.4 billion due to accelerated electronic filing of tax returns and a 5 percent increase in the number of potential recipients.

- Knight-Ridder/Tribune

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