BERLIN (MNI) – The German Finance Ministry expects next year to
meet the deficit limit of 3% of GDP set under the EU Stability and
Growth Pact, a ministry spokesman said Friday.

Germany’s main economic research institutes on Thursday forecast
that the country’s public deficit would fall to 2.7% of GDP in 2011 from
a projected 3.8% this year.

“We are also confident overall that the we can meet the 3% target
next year,” finance ministry spokesman Michael Offer said at a regular
government press conference here.

In its latest official deficit forecast dating from July, the
government had projected a public deficit of 4% of GDP in 2011.

–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: MT$$$$,M$G$$$,M$X$$$,MFGBU$,MFX$$$,MGX$$$]