Kazakhstan\'s parliament on Monday approved the oil-rich Central Asian nation\'s 2005 budget, sending the draft to President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his signature. The budget envisions a deficit equal to 1.7 percent of gross domestic product, down slightly from 1.9 percent of GDP in 2004. Revenues are forecast to rise 45 percent from 2004 to 1,128 billion tenge (US$8.7 billion, euro6.7 billion). Expenditures are expected to total 1,242 billion tenge (US$9.5 billion, euro7.3 billion), a nearly 44 percent increase from 2004. The government of the former Soviet republic, which has extensive oil and natural gas resources, has forecast GDP growth of 7.9 percent next year, up from an estimated 7 percent this year. The inflation rate is expected to be between 4.9 and 6.5 percent next year, according to the budget. Nazarbayev, who has 15 days to approve the budget, is expected to sign it. (AP)