Poland's finmin sees widening budget deficit; plays down resignation rumour

"This year we expect relatively high economic growth, but we can already see in the data after February that one should not expect surpluses in the coming quarters," Czerwińska said.

"Everything suggests that it (the budget deficit) will grow in the coming quarters."

After February, the budget saw a 0,8 billion zloty deficit.

Czerwińska added that according to the data collected by far, the GG sector's deficit in 2018 "did not exceed 0,5 percent of the GDP".

The minister also reassured that she's ready to do all it takes in order for the GG sector's deficit not to exceed 3 percent of the GDP.

"Rumours regarding my resignation are highly exaggerated. Furthermore, all that was to say about it had been already said. The prime minister has also spoken out, therefore I consider this issue covered," Czerwińska said.

Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday in Radio Wrocław that rumours regarding minister of finance's resignation were "a storm in a teacup". He added that he had an initial appointment scheduled for Monday with minister to Czerwińska "for further discussion".

Minister Czerwińska's Monday comment was the first one since the rumours regarding her resignation appeared in the media.

On Wednesday, wPolityce.pl portal informed that, according to their sources, minister Czerwińska submitted her resignation in the end of Febraury, but PM Morawiecki rejected her request.

According to wPolityce.pl, the resignation is said to have taken place a few days after Jarosław Kaczyński (Law and Justice chairman) annouced the so-called new PiS five, a government new programme that would require extended budget spending.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance denied the information on Wednesday on Twitter; the spokesperson for the government Joanna Kopcińska also denied the rumours on that same day.

Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters