Government to discuss budget

The deficit in the state budget should not exceed 100 million crowns, according to a new proposal submitted by the country’s finance minister Miroslav Kalousek of TOP 09. The budget includes measures aimed at boosting the economy, including investment in research, transport and education, which the minister stressed were areas that would not see austerity cuts.

Overall, however, the state is planning on cutting expenses in the form of salaries and bonuses next year by 324 million crowns to 128.2. Those figures remain unchanged from the original draft budget that the Chamber of Deputies returned to the government. The average gross monthly pay in the civil service will grow by just 24 crowns to 23,857 crowns next year when the number of civil servants is to decrease by 272, ČTK reported. The state will pay a total of 424,818 employees from the budget in 2013. The government will discuss the budget at its meeting on Wednesday.

Author: Jan Velinger