Kasyanov says 2002 budget goals will be achieved

The goals of the 2002 federal budget will be met, Russian Prime MinisterMikhail Kasyanov said at the opening of a government meeting. The PrimeMinister was quoted as saying despite the fact that the tax collection was"not very stable" in the first half of 2002, the budget implementation issatisfactory. Kasyanov reported the budget income had been 20.6 percent ofthe GDP in the first half of this year, while the surplus had been postedat 1.6-1.7 percent of the GDP. At the same time, there are a number ofproblems, first of all, the income efficiency, the Prime Minister stressed.He was quoted as saying the balances of budget-sponsored companies andorganizations' accounts are growing, which points to the fact "something iswrong". The Prime Minister did not dismiss the possibility that the Cabinetof Ministers would return to discussing this problem at its meetings on aregular basis. Today the Cabinet of Ministers is scheduled to consider theresults of the federal budget implementation in the first half of thisyear. Deputy Finance Minister Tatyana Golikova will report on this issue. .