The government has today agreed on what is probably its final supplementary budget proposal. The budget allocates additional funds to health care, to helping residents out with high energy bills and to fighting youth crime. The leader of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, considered it important to give more funding to health care.
“Safety in everyday life means being able to rely on receiving care when it is needed. This is why we are now boosting the funding of the new welfare sectors by EUR 500 million, so that they can stabilise and develop their operations. It is important that the welfare sectors receive added resources to reduce waiting times,” Henriksson says.
Many Finns are worried about increases in youth crime. Henriksson says that funding is allocated in the supplementary budget to preventing this trend.
“As Minister of Justice I have felt the urgency of tackling problems to cut the cycle of crime for young people who are caught in it. Therefore we have now allocated EUR 19 million in our supplementary budget to preventing and fighting youth crime,” Henriksson says.
The government is continuing its efforts to provide relief for citizens struggling with rising energy prices. Henriksson is also pleased with the proposal for temporary business cost support for agriculture.
“We have allocated EUR 412 million for compensating citizens in arrears for the rise in electricity prices. This will be done in the form of direct deductions from electricity bills by the electricity companies. Farmers, meanwhile, are in great difficulties due to the astronomical rise in the cost of fertilizers and energy. I am happy to see EUR 96 million being allocated to helping Finnish food producers,” Henriksson says.
Other funds in 2023’s first supplementary budget go to reinforcing equality in preschool and basic education, to supporting regional air traffic (including Kokkola-Pietarsaari airport) between 30 July 2023 and 28 April 2024, and to acquiring new equipment to replace the military and civilian aid provided to Ukraine. Furthermore, funding is provided for the channel leading to the Port of Vaasa, to make it safer for maritime traffic to approach the harbour.
