Senate passes budget bill

The Senate has adopted Poland’s 2017 budget without amendments. The budget bill was adopted by the Sejm (lower house of Polish parliament) on December 16, amidst certain controversy. Parliamentary opposition is still demanding the deliberations on the budget bill be repeated as it considers the manner in which it was adopted as illegal. The budget’s revenue is set at PLN 325.4 billion in 2017, while expenditures are set at a maximum of PLN 384.8 billion. The deficit should not exceed PLN 59.3 billion. The bill has been prepared under the assumptions that the GDP will grow at a rate of 3.6 percent, while inflation will stand at 1.3 percent for the entire 2017. The budget  bill will now be sent to the President to be signed.