The new German coalition government plans to sell 54 bln eur of assets from 2006 to 2009 in order to keep its ballooning deficit in check, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing an internal government memo it obtained. The government plans to sell 20 bln eur of assets next year, 19 bln in 2007 and 15 bln per year in 2008 and 2009, the memo stated. It will sell its Deutsche Telekom AG and Deutsche Post AG holdings in 2007. The government also expects the Bundesbank to increase its annual profit by 1.5 bln eur. Despite the asset sales, the budget deficit is expected to rise to 41 bln in 2006, and decrease slowly in the following years as the government continues to borrow significant amounts. In 2007 it expects to borrow 21.9 bln eur, in 2008 21.5 bln and in 2009 19.8 bln. The government also plans to reduce the government payroll by 8,000 positions through 2010 in order to cut its costs further.