German Economics Minister Philipp Roesler said in a newspaper interview published Monday that the government aims to start paying down federal debt by 2016. "Already in 2015 we want a budget without new borrowing," Roesler told the regional daily Rheinische Post. "The political goal must be to start paying down federal debt by 2016 for the first time in 50 years," he said. Last month the government approved the first budget draft for 2014, which cuts federal net new borrowing to E6.4 billion from E17.1 billion earmarked for this year. The cabinet also adopted the medium-term fiscal plan through 2017. The government expects a balanced budget by 2015. For 2016, it forecast a surplus of E5.0 billion and for 2017 a surplus of E9.4 billion.