Draft budget adopted but PiS already has its fiscal planning knives out

"I can see no crisis in public finances," said Prime Minister Marek Belka. "In 2008 we will easily fulfill the criterion of a 3% public finance sector deficit as compared to GDP." However, the leaders of the parties that won the election have already announced that the budget will be changed. "We are already preparing amendments for the budget for 2006," revealed Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz from Law and Justice (PiS). "We assume far-reaching changes such as the liquidation of certain agencies and funds and shifts within the budget." PiS would also like to lower the deficit to zł.30 billion. Artur Zawisza from PiS did not exclude an increase of revenues as compared to those planned by the present government by introducing tax changes. However, the politicians of the Civic Platform (PO), the PiS' potential coalition partner, ruled this out. "It is out of the question. Minister Gronicki planned too optimistic tax revenues for next year anyway," said Zbigniew Chlebowski from PO. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 4; Parkiet, p. 8) E.B.