Govt. to change state budget

The Government proposes to raise the incomes in the 2008 state budget with 570.2 million lei, and the expenditures – with 965.3 million lei, Info-Prim Neo reports. Finance Minister Mariana Durlesteanu Monday said the measures undertaken to stabilize the consumer prices allowed to diminish the inflation which won't, probably, be higher than 9% by the year-end. She believes this to make it possible to come to a budget deficit earlier negotiated with the IMF. The additional incomes will be gained from privatizations, in amount of 700 million lei, and other returns to the budget reaching 57.3 million lei. As internal savings have been made, 245.5 million lei more will be earmarked to be spent. As for the expenditures, Durlesteanu mentioned the following projects and actions: 209 million lei – to repair roads, 148 million lei – capital injections to state-owned companies, 104 million lei – to build apartments for military, 100 million lei – to build the Cahul – Giurgiulesti railway. 60 million lei will be used to raise salaries. Thus the Parliament will be proposed to adopt a budget with 15.56 billion lei in incomes and 16.06 billion in expenditures. The budget deficit is thus going to attain 313 million lei, that is 0.5 of the GDP, as initially agreed with the IMF.