Federal Budget Draft for 2005

The budget proposal for 2005 is mainly characterised by the tax cuts effected by the 2004-05 tax reform. Together with the budgetary effects of the stimulus packages, which were introduced as a counter-measure to the weak economic growth during the past three years, they will increase the overall budget deficit to 1.9 percent of GDP. At the federal level, the budget deficit will reach 2.4 percent. Overall, the expansionary effect of the federal budget will be larger in 2005 than it has been in the preceding four-year period.