Radio | News week in plain Finnish | Saturday 7 September 2024

Finland’s budget for 2025

The topic of the news week is Finland’s budget for 2025.

This week, the government completed the proposal for next year’s budget.

The state takes on more debt and many things are cut. We will now tell you more about the government’s budget proposal.

Deficit 12 billion euros

The state receives approximately 77 billion euros in revenue. The state’s expenditures are around 89 billion euros.

The budget deficit is more than 12 billion euros, which means that the state has to take on more debt of more than 12 billion euros.

The state collects money from taxes. Many things become more expensive because their value added tax is increased. These include, for example, medicines, sports services, entrance fees, hotels, taxis, buses and domestic flights. The value added tax on these will rise from 10 percent to 14 percent.

There will be a bigger increase for sweets. The VAT on sweets will rise from 14% to 25.5%.

Surgery

Funding is being cut in many areas.

For example, funding for vocational education will be cut by 120 million euros.

135 million euros will be cut from development cooperation.

60 million euros will be cut from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

About 16 million euros will be cut from the asylum application system and international protection.

More than 9 million euros will be cut from the reception money.

Interpreting and integration allowances will also be cut.

More money

The police, army and NATO operations will receive more money.

The police will receive an additional 17.5 million euros.

NATO operations receive 67 million euros. In Finland, for example, an administration will be established for NATO forces.

The army will receive around 500 million euros more than this year. Money is spent, for example, on Finland’s new fighter jets.

Municipalities will receive 900 million euros more than this year.

More money will also be used to rehabilitate roads.

Repeat

The topic of the news week was next year’s state budget.

The government has completed the proposal for next year’s budget.

The budget deficit is more than 12 billion euros. Many expenses are cut.

For example, development cooperation, vocational training and state administration are being cut.

For example, the police, army and NATO activities will receive more money.

Parliament will decide on the budget in the fall. Since the governing parties have a majority in parliament, there will be no major changes to the budget.