YEREVAN (ARKA), March 3–Armenian tax and customs authorities collected a total of 51.1 billion dram of different revenues in the first month of 2010, by 22.3 percent or 9.3 billion dram more than a year ago, the Ministry of Finance reported.

According to the ministry, 40.2 billion dram were collected as taxes and duties, of which 21.9 billion dram were collected as VAT, by 20.5 percent more than in January 2009. Also, 3.5 billion dram were collected as excise taxes, 4.6 billion dram as profit taxes , 4.4 billion dram as income taxes, 2 billion dram as customs duties, 916.2 million dram as state dues and 1.7 billion dram as fixed payments.

According to the ministry, the amount of collected mandatory social insurance payments rose by 41.7 percent from January 2009 to 6.8 billion dram.

Other non-tax revenues totaled 4.2 billion dram or 68.5 percent of the quarter projection. The Armenian government plans to collect 742 billion dram in revenues this year and spend 935 billion dram. The projected deficit is 193.4 billion dram.