MPs from the parliamentary budgetary committee approved on first reading draft budget 2007 without any discussion.

Representatives of the committee decided to leave debates for the general plenary session during which the budget will be examined, Novinar newspaper reported.

Committee head Petar Dimitrov told national private channel bTV that the ruling tripartite coalition was not into argument over the budget and the excise duties for fuels.

Fuel excise duties need to increase because of International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirements. The money will be used to compensate the sum lost from the decrease of income taxation, Novinar reported.

The council of the ruling tripartite coalition took the decision recently. Fuel prices, VAT included are expected to become from 0.08 to 0.1 leva per litre higher as a result.

Dimitrov said that another compensation option was cutting down administrative expenditure. The suggestion was not accepted.