Mexico lawmakers to propose raising 2018 budget after quakes

A committee in Mexico’s lower house will propose changing a draft of next year’s government budget by raising forecasts for oil prices and the exchange rate to help pay for reconstruction after recent earthquakes, a Mexican newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The finance committee in the lower house of Congress agreed to suggest raising oil price assumptions in the fiscal plan to $48.50 per barrel from $46 and the exchange rate to 18.4 pesos per dollar from 18.1 in the draft budget, according to La Jornada.

A spokeswoman for the finance ministry confirmed that the committee . . .