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.