Prague, Sept 11 (CTK) – The Czech government will not approve the draft state budget for 2017 on Monday due to some unresolved demands, but it will not change the planned 60-billion-crown deficit, Deputy PM Pavel Belobradek (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) said in a debate on public Czech TV yesterday.
The cabinet of the Social Democrats (CSSD), ANO and KDU-CSL does not intend to change the deficit though the budget revenues and expenditures might be balanced eventually, Belobradek said in the Question of Vaclav Moravec debate programme.
“I suppose that it is always better to prepare for a worse alternative and then get better figures at the end,” Belobradek said.
It is necessary to deal with unresolved requirements by some ministries in the draft 2017 state budget, he added.
The Finance Ministry has increased budgets of most ministries and state offices in the current proposal compared with the spring draft, primarily in the case of the education, interior and transport ministries. The regional development, industry and trade and health ministries should get less money, on the contrary.
The Finance Ministry headed by Andrej Babis (ANO) has also cut finances for the state debt administration.
The current draft budget, which is available on the government web page, includes two new budget chapters: The office to supervise financial management of political parties and movements and the office for access to transport infrastructure.
Babis originally proposed a budget deficit of 48.5 billion crowns for next year, but he at the same time pointed out that the expenditures can be raised by 11.5 billion to meet the coalition agreement. It counted with a 60 billion- crown budget.
The draft 2017 budget also projects budget expenditures of 1,305 billion crowns.
($1=23.975 crowns)
hol/dr
