Prague, Sept 17 (CTK) – The representatives of the government, trade unions and employers agreed that the 2016 Czech state budget should primarily promote economic growth and employment, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) told journalists after the tripartite’s meeting tonight.
The tripartite council will newly deal with the state final account that summarizes the management of the state every year, Sobotka said.
He said money to cope with the migration crisis will be available in the next year’s budget, both in the budgets of the individual ministries and in the budget reserve for unexpected developments.
“If additional expenses are needed, we will use the reserve or save money elsewhere in the budget,” he said.
The employers complained of the lowering expenses on applied research at the meeting that discussed the next year’s budget yesterday.
Confederation of Industry deputy head Jan Rataj said applied research was one of the factors that started economic growth.
The employers also pointed out that the spending on the purchase of services increased in the budget.
CMKOS umbrella union’s deputy chairman Vit Samek said the state budget should put an emphasis on employment.
The trade unions called for more money to be given to education and health care.
Sobotka said the Labour Ministry is going to work out an analysis of the unemployed and vacant jobs, which should lead to particular steps to be taken in the pro-employment policy.
The Czech Republic has 450,000 unemployed people and 100,000 vacant jobs, he said.
Sobotka’s centre-left government will be approving the 2016 draft budget on September 23. The government must send the budget bill to the lower house of parliament by the end of the month.
The CSSD, the ANO movement and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) said after their last meeting that they reached agreement on all major issues concerning the 2016 budget.
Including money from the European Union and other financial mechanisms, the expenditures of the 2016 state budget are 1249 billion crowns and the revenues are 1179 billion crowns. The budget deficit is 70 billion crowns.
($1=24.096 crowns)
