The revised Budget that the Government adopted and submitted for consideration to the Assembly lays stress on agriculture, education, and social affairs. Revenues in the revised Budget are higher by 5.8 billion denars, while expenditures are higher by 6.5 billion denars. Finance Minister Trajko Slaveski said that this increase is a result of the inadequate planning of the funds and the inadequate distribution of revenues and expenditures in the Budget.

The additional funds will be secured without the introduction of new taxes or increase of the contribution rates.

"The budget of the Agriculture Ministry increased from the current 3 billion denars to 4 billion denars, which is an increase of 1 billion denars. Over 800 million denars of these funds will be used for agriculture promotion programs. This is an increase of nearly 60 percent, more than that which was projected for this year. Practically, in the last two months of this year farmers will receive 60 percent more than that which they received in the previous 10 months of the year. The global picture of the situation in agriculture was that all money for this sector was spent prematurely," Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said yesterday.

The Government hopes that the money from last year's dividend from "Telekom" will be transferred to the Budget. Slaveski said that the dividend from "Telekom" is expected to be 600 million denars or approximately 10 million euros.