Sejm deputies support increased spending proposals in revised budget plan

During yesterday's second reading of the budget bill for 2002, the Sejm backed increases in both spending and income. Deputies from the governing coalition of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Labor Union (UP) and Polish Peasants Party (PSL) gave their support for chages to the original draft that envisage increasing income to zl.145.1 billion from zl.143.9 billion and expenditure to zl.185.1 billion from zl.183.9 billion. Income will be boosted by special contributions from State-owned companies and from additional VAT revenues. More money will be spent on the salaries of teachers and police officers, social security, agriculture, culture and science. The opposition criticized the bill, claiming it contains numerous defects. "The budget draft is merely an exercise in survival. This is socialism in a suitcase," commented Civic Platform (PO) deputy Zyta Gilowska. The debate was interrupted when deputies took a break to watch large screen TVs showing ski-jumper Adam Malysz competing in the Winter Olympics. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) M.T.