Government approves draft budget for next year

The government has approved a draft state budget for 2020 envisaging a deficit of CZK 40 billion. The same level of deficit is also expected in the following two years under the plan produced by the minister of finance, Alena Schillerová. She said a priority of next year’s budget would be increasing old aged pensions as well as teachers’ salaries.

Junior coalition partners the Social Democrats abstained from the vote, saying the budget was insufficiently generous to those most in need.

The draft budget is subject to change and Ms. Schillerová will hold consultations on it with other cabinet members through the summer.

The Communist Party, which supports the minority government on key votes, is demanding a maximum deficit of CZK 30 billion next year.

Author: Ian Willoughby