Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) Finance Minister Suleiman Al Hafez said on Wednesday that the 2013 draft state budget, which will be unveiled soon, is in conformity with the three-year economic and fiscal reform programme endorsed by the government which envisaged deficit reduction.

"Next year's budget will be realistic, transparent and prudent, particularly the provision of cutting current expenditures," he said in remarks to Petra, adding that the next budget is the first that does not earmark any funding based on unconfirmed foreign grants, a policy that will enhance self-reliance.

He said the main features of the budget are controlling spending and raising capital expenditures to JD1.250 billion from the current year's capital projects budget of JD750 million, pointing that capital projects will focus on the energy and water sectors and development of governorates.

But he said that the final figures of projected revenues, expenditures and deficit are not yet clear.