Klaus signs 2006 budget deficit increase, sick leave benefits bill

President Vaclav Klaus has signed a bill increasing the 2006 state budget deficit by about ten billion crowns that are needed to pay out pensions, and a bill postponing new sick leave benefits validity until 2008. The lower house passed the bill on the increase in this year's budget deficit on December 12th. Labour and Social Affairs Minister Petr Necas and Finance Minister Vlastimil Tlusty said that the pension system would have been otherwise short of some 10 billion crowns this month. The 2006 budget deficit will increase to almost 84 billion crowns from the originally planned 74 billion.