2009 ODA cut: Budget Committee rejects amendments to avoid it

Over the last three weeks, ruling coalition members of Parliament and Undersecretary of State Scotti have bee ensuring that ODA cut in 2009 budget appropriation could have been avoided, thanks to some amendments proposing to raise excise on tobacco and alcohol to collect resources for ODA. Unfortunately, last Tuesday, the parliamentary Budget Committee rejected all amendments on excises increase, as additional financial resources they could raise were difficult to forecast. While discussions on the financial bill continue in the Budget Committee, there currently is only one amendment left that is attempting to limit the ODA reduction. However, this is a minority amendment and it is not clear yet whether, MPs from ruling coalition, proposing an ODA increase, will actually support this survived amendment.