Daily Graphic

"98 BUDGET Focus on expenditure control"

The Graphic's highlights of the budget include: No increase in price of petroleum products; real GDP growth rate of 5.6 per cent; inflation to come down to 9.5 per cent; balance of payment surplus of 80 million dollars; interest rate for agriculture reduced;

In another front page story the Graphic says Parliament has passed the Value Added Tax (VAT) Bill which seeks to impose 10 per cent rate on various goods and services by a vote of 107 in favour and 55 against.