Draft budget for 2003 envisages major deficit and optimistic growth

The government presented an outline of the 2003 budget draft, which features a zl. 40 billion deficit, equal to that of this year's budget. This means th at the deficit will remain high, at 5.1% of GDP. Revenues are to reach zl. 1 52.5 billion, while expenditures are set at zl. 192.5 billion, increasing in line with the Finance Minister's "inflation + 1 percentage point" rule. The budget is based on assumptions of 3% inflation and 3% real GDP growth. (Praw o i Gospodarka, p. 9) T.J.