The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading the draft state budget for 2006. 270 people's deputies voted for the adoption of the resolution "On approval of conclusions and proposals to the draft Law 'On the State Budget for 2006'", which, in fact, means the adoption of the draft state budget for 2006, reports the correspondent of "proUA".

The factions of BYuT, SPU, SDPU(o), "Reforms and Order" and "United Ukraine" did not vote for the adoption of the draft State Budget-2006.

After the revision of the draft State Budget-2006 submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers, the budget committee of the Verkhovna Rada proposes to set the revenues of the State Budget for next year at 118,705,962.5 thousand hryvnias, expenditures – 127,443,818.5 thousand hryvnias. Thus, the deficit of the State Budget-2006 is proposed to be set at the level of 9,898,379.9 thousand hryvnias.

Before the vote, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn, addressing the people's deputies, reminded that at the meeting of the political council held yesterday at the President of Ukraine, the issue of adopting the State Budget for 2006 was raised. Meanwhile, according to Lytvyn, from the position of the Cabinet of Ministers he understood that the budget was proposed in such a form so that the Verkhovna Rada would not adopt it. The speaker noted that in this connection there would be an opportunity to place all responsibility for the failure of the budget process on the Verkhovna Rada. According to Lytvyn, despite the fact that the Cabinet of Ministers demonstrates readiness for compromise, members of the government understand this compromise only if the budget committee of the VR takes their proposals into account.

Lytvyn, addressing the deputies, asked them to adopt the conclusions and proposals of the budget committee, thereby adopting the draft budget in the first reading, so that the Cabinet of Ministers together with the budget committee of the VR would have the opportunity to prepare the draft of the main financial document of next year for the second reading.