Teachers promised pay rise if budget receives hoped-for VAT revenue boost

The Sejm Finance Commission has decided to allocate zl.674.5 million saved from the budget for this year to benefit teachers and public works programs. Part of the money will also be spent on adjusting domestic agriculture to European Union (EU) standards. An additional increase in teachers' salaries, higher subsidies for the Agricultural Market Agency (ARR) and the further expansion of the road-building program will all be possible, provided that VAT revenues within the first three quarters of the year exceed the planned level of zl.41.7 billion by the hoped-for zl.625 million. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) M.K.