“We are working on three draft budgets, including those for the central government and local authorities, mandatory health insurance, as well as Sodra [social insurance fund]. We hope to be able to submit them to the Seimas [parliament] in due time in fall. As you know, the government has taken very important decisions [approved the euro adoption plan] and we have started their implementation through action programs in several ministries, the Bank of Lithuania – all with the aim to achieve our goal to adopt the euro in 2015,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Plans pertaining to the European Union’s financial framework of 2014-2020 would also be on agenda in fall, he said.
“According to preliminary data, the European Union’s (EU) support to Lithuania should reach 28.5 billion litas (EUR 8.26b), including around 25 billion litas from the Community’s structural funds. The main investments will go towards energy sector’s reform, employment promotion, education, environmental protection, development of transport links, research and development,” Butkevičius said.