“All of the priorities remain, however, they grew a bit – by about 55 million euros. The generosity is for doctor salaries, increase of basic salaries for public servants, we are restoring social assistance to municipalities,” Skvernelis told journalists after the government’s meeting on Thursday.
In his words, the additional money should be generated from better collection of corporate profit tax from state-run enterprises.
The balance of public finances will remain positive at 0.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), said Skvernelis, adding that the same surplus was envisaged in the initial budget draft.
The government said an additional 11 million euros would be earmarked to increase of doctor salaries next year, with additional 10 million euros projected for wages of public servants and 5 million euros for maintenance and reconstruction of agricultural melioration equipment.
Some 3 million euros have been envisaged additionally for raising salaries of the Prisons Department staff, 1.6 million euros for delayed salaries of court employees, 1.5 million euros for the Kaunas stadium, 1 million euros for salary increase of district fire-and-rescue services and another 1 million euros for development of infrastructure of free economic zones.
The updated budget draft should go before the parliament on Dec. 7.