OTTAWA: Canada posted a budgetary deficit of C$1.25 billion ($940 million) in September as program expenses rose amid transfers to Canadians and other levels of government, the finance department said on Friday.

For the 2015-16 fiscal year that began in April, the government saw a surplus of C$1.58 billion compared to a deficit of C$744 million in the same time period the year before.

Copyright Reuters, 2015