Head of Kazakhstan NB does not exclude upgrade of forecast about tenge's rate

/REUTERS, London, Vlasta Demyanenko, April 20, 04/ - Kazakhstan may once again reexamine towards upgrading the forecast of tenge strengthening against dollar for 2004 with specifying of the budget for the current year, said chairman of the National Bank Anvar Saidenov to Reuters. "We have already reexamined the forecast of average annual rate of tenge to 138.3 per dollar from 153.3", - he said at the annual meeting of European bank for reconstruction and development in London. When Saidenov was asked whether the new reexamination of the forecast towards more strengthening of tenge against dollar he said: "In the middle of the year the budget will be reexamined, and I do not exclude that". In the end of March Kazakhstan upgraded the forecast of average price for oil for the current year - main export goods of the country - to more than $27 per barrel of indicative Brent from $22. At the same time the government called a new estimation of average annual rate, having made a slip that it was preliminary. Under the pressure of the growing flow of currency into the country rate of tenge against US dollar is constantly growing. On Monday weighted average rate at stock exchange's trades grew to 137.62 from 137.74 tenge for $1 on Friday. The government expects over the plan inflows to the budget of 2004 in the amount of about KZT27 bn. and prepares for this sum specification of parameters of the budget, deficit of which will not change. Budget for 2004 proposes inflows equaling to KZT875.9 bn., expenses including crediting - KZT968.5 bn., deficit - KZT92.7 bn. or 1.9% of GDP. [2004-04-20]