Opposition demands enquiry into public finances

PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński (left) with MP Mariusz Błaszczak during parliament session, Tuesday: photo - Rafal Guz

"We must finally determine what the state of the public finances is, as this looks creative accounting,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski told the lower house of parliament, Tuesday morning, following Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski saying last week that the Civic Platform-led coalition intends to widen the budget deficit by 16 billion zlotys (4 billion euros) this year and suspend a ceiling on public debt, following a slowdown of central and eastern Europe’s largest economy.

Kaczynski said the enquiry is needed to look at “the process of how the budget was constructed and not just this year’s.”

The conservative leader of Poland’s largest opposition party said that “a vote of no confidence in Finance Minister Rostowski would not be effective” so a committee of enquiry is the best option to look at why revenue for this year’s budget was calculated at a certain level when it was obvious that this would decline throughout 2013 as the economy slows.

“Where has all the money gone?” Kaczynski asked.

Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski replied that the commission of enquiry is “a very interesting idea and I am always happy to answer all your questions,” though “a lecture might be a better idea”.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last week that the government intends to make amendments to the 2013 budget law which would widen the planned deficit, as projections show that budget revenues this year will be 24 billion zlotys below the level previously forecast.

"We have to decide how to cover this shortfall. We would be willing to increase the budget deficit by about 16 billion zlotys and cuts [in expenditure] would amount to 8.5 to 8.6 billion zlotys," he said. (pg)

Source: PAP