Czech cabinet approves 2020 budget bill

The Czech cabinet approved the 2020 draft state budget with a deficit of 40 billion crowns at its meeting on Monday also attended by President Milos Zeman, the Government Office press department has announced. The two government parties, ANO and the Social Democrats (CSSD), say the budget priorities are increases in pensions, teachers' wages, the parental benefit and the state spending on research and development and also on sports and investments. The budget bill, drafted by the Finance Ministry, projects the total expenditures at 1,618 billion crowns and revenues at 1,578 billion. A 40 billion crown budget deficit is also preliminarily planned for 2021 and 2022.