Protest makes Ecuador cut budget surplus forecast

Ecuador will reduce its forecast primary budget surplus to between 3.2 percent and 3.4 percent of gross domestic product from 4.9 percent partly due to a protest which has choked oil exports and changes to a retirement fund, an official said on Friday.
"Provisionally we're talking about a primary surplus of 3.2 to 3.4 percent," Under Secretary for Economic Policy Fausto Herrera told Reuters.
The primary surplus excludes debt servicing costs. The protest in two Amazon provinces has crippled oil production by state-owned Petroecuador and private companies which could reduce government revenues by $486 million, Herrera said.