BRATISLAVA, November 14, (WEBNOVINY) — Representatives of the four parties of the outgoing ruling coalition will seek an agreement on the approval and shape of the next year’s state budget at a roundtable, has announced Prime Minister Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS). On Monday, she met with Parliament Speaker Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH) over the issue. “In order to try and find a consensus that can pass in parliament,” she stated.
Hrusovsky is aware of responsibility for having the budget approved. He plans meetings with all heads of deputy clubs while he also wants to convene all MPs for the former coalition. He believes that the priority is have the budget adopted though its optimal form is not a condition. “Not ideal but any budget is our preference over no state budget,” he stated.
Radicova said that Slovakia is living turbulent times when economic prognoses change frequently. “These changes are dramatic,“ she underscored. If the budget does not pass, it would mean that Slovakia will have to use a provisional budget, which Radicova sees as an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. The advantage would be that the state would have more sources in some chapters than planned in the prepared draft for 2012. On the other hand, the disadvantage would be that the government would have to regularly adopt measures to not widen the budget gap.
Radicova however guarantees that this year’s deficit will reach the planned sum while the Cabinet would like to narrow the next’s year’s gap of public finances to the 2011 level. Lawmakers will discuss the state budget bill at their session in December. Hundreds of millions of euros may be missing in the draft due to the worsening economic situation.
SITA