OTTAWA — The federal government's coffers bulged by an additional $700 million in September, bringing Ottawa surplus for the first six months of the fiscal year to a breathtaking $9.3 billion.

The government says it took in $2.6 billion more in revenues in September than it did in the same month of 2006. That was a 15 per cent increase, year-to-year.

For the first six months of the government's current financial year, which began in April, the surplus is $3.4 billion higher than from the same period last year, despite higher program spending.

The half-year results do not reflect the $4.8-billion in tax cuts announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Oct. 30, most of which begin going into effect in January.