Finance minister: Security and education main priorities, next four years’ budget strategy to depend on spring economic outlook
Minister of Finance Sven Sester (IRL) confirmed in an interview with ETV’s “Aktuaalne Kaamera” newscast on Monday that security was one of the government’s priorities, and that more money would be allocated to it than to other areas of state administration. He also said that ministries were asking for funding increases five times the size of what the government has available.
According to a new survey, the Rescue Board’s financing isn’t sustainable. They won’t be able to keep up the current service coverage without an additional €148.7m over the coming ten years. Sester said in his interview with “Aktuaalne Kaamera” that the government would discuss its budget strategy for the next four years in spring.
“Like the minister of the interior has said, an increase of the salary fund for internal security is planned for next year,” Sester pointed out. He added that rescue professionals, social workers, workers in education, and those working in the culture sector that had a higher degree were part of the government’s priorities.
Sester said that different ministries required a funding increase between 500 and 600 million, and would be entering the spring discussions with this kind of total. The government, on the other hand, didn’t have more than 100 million to spend at best.
A lot depended on the economic outlook and the resulting tax revenue. Once they had the spring outlook to work with, the government could make its next decisions, Sester said. Asked if the government had priority areas where to increase the budget, Sester pointed to internal security and education.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn