The former president of the National Council of Private Business, Celso Marranzini, warned that if the government does not reduce its current expenditures, primarily on supplies and payroll, it will be playing with fire in the management of the economy. He said the current levels of government spending call for austerity and a line of authority so that the departments do not exceed their budgets. He said the country cannot sustain the present levels of spending which will result in a major fiscal deficit. Some government departments have increased their payrolls three or four times to accommodate party members seeking government paychecks.
