Finance minister increases revenues chapter of budget for 2018

Finance Minister Ivan Pilný from the ANO party has increased the revenues chapter in the 2018 draft budget by 21 billion crowns.

The minister confirmed this in a debate on Czech Television on Sunday, saying the ministry had upgraded its growth estimate for 2018 from 2.9 to 3.1 percent.

However the additional finances would still not cover the proposed wage hike for public sector employees. According to Pilny the budget would still be short of approximately 8 billion crowns.

The finance minister dismissed the prime minister’s proposal that this money could come from finances saved by individual ministries as unrealistic, saying ministry officials had made it clear they would spend their entire budgets.

The coalition parties are to meet on Monday to debate the proposed wage hikes.