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The national budget general fund of Ukraine for 2009 will fall short of the planned indicator for revenues by Hr 40 billion. The national budget general fund of Ukraine for 2009 will fall short of the planned indicator for revenues by Hr 40 billion, Presidential Secretariat First Deputy Head Oleksandr Shlapak has forecast.

"The crisis in the economy is causing a fiscal crisis," the presidential press service said, citing Shlapak.

Shlapak said that over the first ten months of 2009, Hr 120.91 billion in revenues, or 65.7% of the annual plan, came to the national budget general fund, including Hr 11 billion in taxes collected in advance.

According to Shlapak, it is not realistic over the two last months of 2009 to collect the remaining sum in revenues foreseen in the law on the national budget.

Due to this, Shlapak forecasts a worsening of the situation with the payment of wages to state employees and the fulfillment of social guarantees.

"We will hold out until the end of this year. But there is no answer to the challenges we are to face next year, if the draft national budget for 2010, as presented by the government, is based on absurd, unrealistic macroeconomic indicators," Shlapak said.

According to the State Treasury, the revenues of the national budget of Ukraine in January to October 2009 were Hr 147.87 billion (60.2% of the annual plan), including Hr 120.91 billion to the general fund. The revenue figures for October 2009 were Hr 15.91 billion and Hr 13.491 billion respectively.

National budget revenues in 2009 were planned at a level of Hr 245.52 billion, including Hr 183.98 billion to the general fund.
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