Next year's budget deficit level leads to discord between Raczko and Hausner

Rzeczpospolita has unofficially learnt of a dispute between Finance Minister Andrzej Raczko and Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner over the level of the 2005 budget deficit. It seems that the Finance Ministry intends to lower the deficit by zł.6.5 billion to zł.38.8 billion. "Such a figure was planned and it will be proposed to the government. However, lowering the deficit will lie with the government," Jarosław Nenemann, an adviser to the finance minister, said. A person close to budget planners, though, claimed the Ministry could propose an even lower deficit, although this might encourage deputies to raise expenditures. Hausner has been pressing for an even greater limiting of the 2005 budget deficit, arguing that the figure could be as low as zł.35 billion. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B2) M.M.