Alex Salmond set a target for Scotland to become independent within 10 years as he published his plans for the nation's economy to grow faster.

The First Minister yesterday announced nine targets aimed at moving the nation up the European income league, claiming they represent "a can-do strategy for a can-do nation".

This was timed to emphasise that economic growth is the underpinning for a Budget announcement at Holyrood today, setting out spending plans from next April and for the three years before the next election.

Mr Salmond's target for independence by 2017 emerged when he spoke about growth rates.

He pointed to a new goal to raise Scotland's growth rate to that of small, independent EU countries within 10 years, reckoned to mean an extra £10,000 for the average family.

Asked if that is possible without the powers currently retained at Westminster, the First Minister replied: "What you can take from the 2017 target is that we are confident we are going to have the (economic) levers by the time we get to 2017."

He later added: "It would be much easier if we had the full powers of an independent country. Therefore, I was anticipating being in that position by 2017."

Finance Secretary John Swinney hopes to announce a council tax freeze today but a deal on that is yet to be finalised, with local authority chiefs meeting him at St Andrew's House this morning. Yesterday he faced a warning shot from the main public sector union, Unison, tabling a pay claim for 5% or £1000 - whatever is greater - for 220,000 of its members.

The economic strategy published yesterday at a Glasgow University media conference includes a target for population growth of 150,000 people by 2017. Mr Salmond suggested more than half of that could be the return of Scots exiles. It calls for Scotland to have new powers to issue Green Cards for immigrants thought to be important to sustaining economic growth.

The SNP leader also said there must be emphasis on ensuring disadvantaged regions and communities around Scotland are not left behind by the growth, with targets for closing the gap on both counts. The bottom 30% of earners would rise from the 14% of income share they currently have.

The plan is for a higher proportion of Scots to be in work, when the country is already leading the UK and close to the top of the employment league. It spells out the ways in which health and justice spending can help improve economic growth, through a "more fulfilled and purposeful workforce" leading to reduced absenteeism.

The target already set by the Scottish Government is to raise the nation's growth rate within this four-year parliament term so that it equals the UK level.

Labour deputy leader Cathy Jamieson said: "Since becoming First Minister, Alex Salmond has made breaking up Britain his priority.

"Support for independence continues to fall yet the SNP seem determined to try and create the fights they think will separate Scotland from the rest of the UK. Every time Alex Salmond has predicted when Scotland will be independent he gets it woefully wrong. This looks like history repeating itself."

Derek Brownlee, the Tory economic spokesman said: "The government should have been more ambitious. The SNP pledged to reduce emissions and raise GDP growth rate by 2011. Every other target is aimed for either 2017 or 2050. We need to know where does the government expect to be in 2011 if it is to meet these targets by 2017."