Country = Government?

I was reading this story about the FAA crisis when the following quote caught my eye:  “the country stands to lose more than $1 billion in revenue from uncollected airline ticket taxes during the shutdown if Congress leaves the problem hanging
until lawmakers return in September.”  The country stands to lose?  How about the Federal government stands to lose?  I guess the reporter views them as one and the same.  And, of course, there is no mention of the fact that whatever the “country” loses either the airlines or the passengers (probably the airlines) will gain.  It’s just, in the words of the article “lose-lose-lose.”  Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.  It is the AP after all.