ANKARA, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Turkey's government cut total budget spending planned for 2009 by 3.061 billion lira ($2.02 billion), Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Thursday, as the country heads into a possible loan deal with the IMF.
Parliament also accepted a resolution cutting spending for some ministries by between 10 percent and 16.5 percent in 2009, corresponding to 3.061 billion lira spending cut. the justice, education and health ministries are among those that lost some funding.
Simsek told parliament the government investment spending alone would be lowered by 1.8 billion lira next year.
An IMF mission is scheduled to visit Turkey in early January for talks with Turkish officials.
Turkey is expected to sign a regular standby or a precautionary standby loan deal with the IMF to help it withstand the global financial crisis.
Turkish business leaders and investors have long called for a loan accord to stabilise the economy, which has slowed sharply this year while its markets have been hit by the effects of a global crisis.
Turkey's previous $10 billion standby loan accord with the IMF expired in May.
($=1.5090 lira)
(Reporting by Selcuk Gokoluk; editing by Michael Roddy) Keywords: TURKEY SPENDING/CUT (selcuk.gokoluk@reuters.com; +90 312 292 7012; Reuters messaging: selcuk.gokoluk.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Parliament also accepted a resolution cutting spending for some ministries by between 10 percent and 16.5 percent in 2009, corresponding to 3.061 billion lira spending cut. the justice, education and health ministries are among those that lost some funding.
Simsek told parliament the government investment spending alone would be lowered by 1.8 billion lira next year.
An IMF mission is scheduled to visit Turkey in early January for talks with Turkish officials.
Turkey is expected to sign a regular standby or a precautionary standby loan deal with the IMF to help it withstand the global financial crisis.
Turkish business leaders and investors have long called for a loan accord to stabilise the economy, which has slowed sharply this year while its markets have been hit by the effects of a global crisis.
Turkey's previous $10 billion standby loan accord with the IMF expired in May.
($=1.5090 lira)
(Reporting by Selcuk Gokoluk; editing by Michael Roddy) Keywords: TURKEY SPENDING/CUT (selcuk.gokoluk@reuters.com; +90 312 292 7012; Reuters messaging: selcuk.gokoluk.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.