Lithuanian parliament passes 2015 budget second time

Before the bill was put to a repeat vote, the Seimas approved the Budget and Finance Committee’s proposal as to the sources for additional 26-million-euro funding for cultural workers, schools and farmers.

The committee proposed to use revenues from improved excise tax collection and to cut budget appropriations for the Finance Ministry in order to cover the increased funding for these areas.

The government expects to collect an additional 14.25 million euros from excise taxes next year. The budget appropriations for the Finance Ministry, including state debt servicing, are to be curbed by 11.584 million euros.

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius told BNS after the Budget and Finance Committee’s meeting that debt servicing costs were being reducing by 4.344 million euros and that the budget adjustments would have no impact on the fiscal deficit.

When it passed the 2015 state budget a week ago, the Seimas asked the government to find additional funds for cultural workers, schools and farmers.

Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius said at that time that the decision was unexpected for him, but he did not propose that the parliament put the budget adoption procedures on hold to give the ministry time to identify sources for the additional funding.