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The 2002 draft budget is set to sail smoothly through a first
parliamentary reading, butcould encounter difficulties in the
second, more detailedreading, government and parliament officials
said Thursday. "All the main [parliament] factions have confirmed
they agree with the budget concept," Itar-Tass quoted Finance
Minister Alexei Kudrin as telling reporters ahead of a Friday
first reading at the State Duma. "Adoption of the budget
will be a new stage in Russia's financial life because a planned
surplus and a financial reserve will be approved," Interfax
quoted him as saying. The blueprint sets 2002 revenues at 2.13
trillion rubles ($72.45 billion at current rates) and the surplus
at 178.3 billion rubles, or 1.63 percent of gross domestic product.
The government this week agreed to Duma requests to increase revenue
targets by 127.3 billion rubles. New funds will be distributed
between domestic needs and a financial reserve accumulating cash
for debt payments in 2003.
Deputies saw the 450-member Duma overwhelmingly supporting the
draft. It eeds 226 votes to pass the first reading. They expected
the Communists and Agrarians to vote against, though both say
they might not demand faction members vote as a bloc. "One
could guess at 270 votes in favor," said Lyubov Sliska, first
deputy speaker and a member of pro-Kremlin Unity faction. Liberal
Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky warned about the second reading
that distributes spending for specific articles, while Vyacheslav
Volodin, leader of the centrist Fatherland faction, also said
his party was unhappy about some spending. The second reading
is set for Oct. 19.
See also:
Budget 2002
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