Key objectives are the Euro and e-Government

Last update: 11.05.2007 06:00

From an interview with Slovak Finance Minister Ján Počiatek for the Austrian economic daily WirtschaftsBlatt

As we wish to join the European Monetary Union in 2009, we put the main emphasis on the adoption of the euro. Our latest estimates show that the inflation rate should drop below 2.5 per cent at the end of 2007. If the price of petrol does not change substantially, we will succeed.

The final figure for the public finance deficit for last year is not yet available, but in 2007 we must attain a figure below 3 per cent of GDP. Our goal is 2.9 per cent. The cost of the pension system reform is included.  In preparing the budget, we anticipated GDP growth of 7.1-per, but it will be higher, probably 9 per cent.

The other essential objective is the development of e-Government in Slovakia, Austria being the leader in this respect. We would like to draw on its experience and also on that of Estonia. The state sector as a whole has to work more efficiently and, consequently, it needs to be modernised. What we are lacking here is the IT infrastructure required to achieve this end.