On November 29, parliament resumed the debate on the government-approved 2008 state budget that began a day earlier, with more than 50 MPs expected to take the floor.
November 28 saw speeches from opposition legislators who submitted amending proposals aimed at reallocating funds, in response to what they called badly-targeted priorities.
Next year's deficit has been set at Sk32 billion (€960 million), with revenues of Sk348.2 billion and expenditures of Sk380.2 billion.
Finance Minister Ján Počiatek said the budget plan meets the Maastricht criteria and Stability and Growth Pact requirements for Slovakia to be able to adopt the euro as of January 1, 2009. He also described the budget as a move towards the long-term sustainability of public finances.
The opposition says the budget’s poorly-chosen priorities will hamper the country's future development.
-TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
