Greece’s EU/IMF lenders disagree with the government’s prediction that it will meet its budget deficit target for next year, the deputy finance minister said yesterday as he unveiled a revised 2015 budget plan.

“The (EU/IMF) troika has different estimates,” Christos Staikouras told reporters. “They see a fiscal gap for 2015.”

Greece and its lenders have been at odds over the deficit target – estimated at 0.2 per cent next year – and the lenders have urged the country to take additional measures to ensure it hits the target.

The budget was submitted to Parliament yesterday without the approval of the ­country’s lenders.

The revised budget plan confirmed the 2015 growth forecast of 2.9 per cent.

It also slightly raised the forecast for a primary surplus to 3 per cent of gross domestic product from 2.9 per cent previously, a Finance Ministry official said.

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