France's
finance minister says the country plans to cut its budget deficit by €3.6-3.7bn
(£2.84bn, $4.6bn) next year in a bid to meet European Union rules.
The
minister, Michel Sapin, made the promise in a letter to the European
Commission.
The
plan is an update on the country's original draft budget for 2015.
The
Commission has until Wednesday to decide whether or not to accept the proposal.
Mr Sapin
said he had found the money because of lower-than-expected costs on interest
payments, as well as lower contributions to the EU's budget.
He
said France had also gained income through higher tax income, which it pulled
in by being tougher on fraud and ending some company tax allowances.
The
country has missed a number of budget deficit targets and has struggled with
high unemployment and low growth.
Earlier
this month, the French government said it would reduce its budget deficit to
below the EU threshold of 3% of GDP by 2017, two years later than promised.
That
forecast indicated the public deficit would fall to 4.3% next year, but to 2.8%
by 2017.
Mr
Sapin said at the time that growth would remain weak, projecting that the
economy would only grow very slightly this year.
France
plans to cut public spending by €50bn ($63bn; £39bn) by 2017, the year in which
the country's next presidential election will be held.
In
August, three French ministers resigned amid a bitter row over economic policy.
BBC
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