Financial Committee Recommends MPs to Approve Budget with Slight Adjustments

Bratislava, November 26 (TASR) - The parliamentary financial affairs committee has recommended Parliament to approve the draft budget for next year with moderate adjustments. The committee members on Tuesday approved a resolution on the budget with a sole amending proposal. Adjustments only concern transfers from the reserve in the general treasury administration. The total general government deficit should remain at the planned level of 4.7 percent of GDP. Parliament will deal with the budget at the session starting on Tuesday afternoon, with the debate on it probably being launched on Thursday (November 28). The amending proposal, submitted by committee vice-chair Daniel Karas (Smer-SD), reacts to several legislative changes from the past. These include, for example, the approval of sports vouchers for children, the exemption of government bond yields from a special levy on regulated activities, as well as the planned transfer of gluten-free flour and bread to a reduced 5-percent VAT rate. Additional money from the general treasury administration will also have to be transferred to cover salary hikes for medical workers. Meanwhile, the budget doesn't yet take into account a potential increase in energy aid, which hasn't yet been finally agreed on within the coalition. ko/df