Draft state budget to go to final reading

Late Thursday the Chamber of Deputies passed the draft state budget for 2006 to go to a final reading. The vote is scheduled for December 2nd. The budget for next year plans for a deficit of 74.4 billion crowns (the equivalent of roughly 3 billion US dollars), with around 885 billion crowns in revenues and 959 billion in expenditures. The December vote will be based on the resolution of the Chamber of Deputies budget committee, which discussed financial transfers last week. The committee reviewed almost 1,200 modifications valued at roughly seven billion crowns, submitted by individual committees, deputies, and the public.