FinMin: We hope we'll not overshoot budget deficit target too much

The government will take all the measures it has available in order to meet the 2009 budget deficit target of 7.3 percent of GDP, Public Finances Minister Gheorghe Pogea said on Thursday, after talks with a visiting delegation of the International Monetary Fund.

'Even if we slightly overshoot the deficit target, let it not be because of the government, but because of the delayed enforcement of some laws. We hope we'll not overshoot the budget deficit target of 7.3 percent of GDP too much', Pogea said.

He stressed the budget deficit could be exceeded if the proposed measures (the laws on slashing budget expenditure - editor's note) cannot be enforced.

Head of the IMF Mission in Romania Jeffrey Franks declined to comment on the consequences of a possible overshooting of the budget deficit target and he announced he would meet caretaker Prime Minister Emil Boc starting 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Agerpres