A press release indicates that, however, planned cuts will be only of 7.9 billion pesos (416.5 million dollars) to autonomous entities, to reallocate such resources to social welfare programs and to increase the spending of the Senate.

Among beneficiaries are The National Polytechnic Institute, the fertilizer program, and the Agency for International Cooperation for Development.

Allocations are also increased to the vaccination program of the Ministry of Health, the ‘Youth Building the Future’ welfare plan, pensions for people with permanent disabilities, and the ‘Sembrando Vida’ (Planting life) reforestation program.

In the draft, the commission considered as right the 3.4 percent salary increase foreseen for the federal public administration and approved the salary of the President, as well as that of federal officials.

The main affected by cuts is the National Electoral Institute, for which the budget draft sets a reduction of 4.9 billion pesos (258 million dollars).

According to the project, to representatives who are members of the Budget Committee, which must pass the document this Tuesday, the total spending of autonomous branches would drop from 7.3 billion pesos to 6.9.

A decrease of 3 billion pesos (158 million dollars) to the Judiciary is also expected.

pgh/lcr