Czech KSCM wants CEZ dividend, CNB profit to help reduce deficit

Brany will represent the KSCM at political parties' meeting with Finance Minister Eduard Janota this afternoon.

Janota has recently come up with a draft package of austerity measures, including both cuts in budget spending and steps to increase the revenues, aimed to reduce the deficit to 160-165 billion crowns.

Parties considerably differ in their assessment of the draft but all say they are ready to seek agreement.

"An extraordinary situation requires extraordinary solutions," Brany said.

The CNB posted profit of 29.1 billion crowns last year.

According to Brany, it is possible to ask CNB Governor Zdenek Tuma to earmark the money for the state budget.

The state could similarly gain further money through the dividends of the state-controlled CEZ.

The state would thus gain an overall 60 billion crowns, Brany said.

"We reject the demagoguery and political blackmail on the part of the right-wingers who, under the pretext of the economic crisis, are trying to apply a sped-up procedure to force other parties to accept steps that would further deteriorate the situation of the middle and low-income classes," KSCM said in a press release today.

($1=17.052 crowns)

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz