Saxony wants to spend the next two years as much money as never before: CDU and SPD have increased the government bill for the record double budget 2019/20 again by 370 million euros to 41.1 billion euros – the good tax revenues make it possible. Compared to the current dual budget, the budget increases by a total of 3.4 billion euros.
Where are the priorities?
In principle, all ministries get more money made available. The biggest item is education: around one third of the 41.1 billion euros go into this area. The municipal allocations are on a similar scale. In addition, the priority is clearly in the area of internal security (€ 6.7 billion) and digitization. In order to prevent worse times, the reserves should be increased by 300 million euros to 1.28 billion euros. The investment rate will once again occupy a nationwide top spot with a good 14 percent – that too is an important point, as CDU financial expert Jens Michel points out. „We have tried to continue the sound fiscal policy of recent years,“ Michel said.
Where does that come from?
Of course, the Free State benefits from a booming economy, conceded the leaders of the CDU and SPD, Christian Hartmann and Dirk Panter, at the budget presentation on Wednesday in Dresden. Thus, for the next two years, a rich tax plus of around 2.5 billion euros is expected compared to earlier estimates. In addition, hundreds of millions of euros from the so-called guarantee fund, which has intercepted the repayments after the SachsenLB bankruptcy, flow into the budget.
Why are the funds increased on this scale?
On the one hand, this undoubtedly lies in understanding the necessity: In recent years, too much has been saved and too little invested in the future. „It was important to us that the Saxons, as taxpayers, have a right to get something back with the household and feel it in their everyday lives,“ says CDU parliamentary leader Hartmann. His SPD counterpart Panter emphasizes: „This household is a household of design. Now that the coalition has been working in repair mode for a long time, we are going up a gear. „On the other hand, the Free State benefits from the already described economic situation, which among other things is associated with the lowest unemployment rate in Saxony since reunification.
What changes have CDU and SPD made to the design?
In total, more than 400 million euros have been redeployed in the budget, of which 370 million euros are new compared to the government bill. There had been more than 300 amendments from both groups – but not all requests were feasible. The budgetary politician of the SPD, Mario Pecher, confesses: „There was so much sense that the money was not enough.“ The biggest item is in the changes of the Kita and school construction from: The government bill was originally earmarked 90 million euros – now It received 305 million euros, the municipalities with sharply rising child numbers. In addition, additional funds will be made available to all communities, bringing the total investment in day-care centers and schools to half a billion euros.
Where are the shifts still noticeable?
It was turned on many screws and readjusted – the budget but not turned upside down. A striking feature is the social housing construction: The funding pot was almost doubled with 90 million euros. In addition, there will be additional funds for rural areas (plus 20 million euros), including a special program for village cores. Hospitals are also to benefit: Here too, 20 million euros have been added for digitization – keyword: telemedicine. In the municipal road construction flow 10 million euros more. There is good news for police officers: So far, the shift surcharges were not included in the pension claims – that will change from 2019. And another good news: The devastating spreading bark beetle is in the Saxon forests with a special program of 50 million euros made become.
How does the opposition see the new budget?
Before the budget will be discussed in Parliament in December, the opposition is already strongly criticized. In addition to the planned free education ticket, AfD head Jörg Urban calls for a counterpart for pensioners in „structurally disadvantaged counties“, the introduction of a state care allowance and an additional 60 million euros for rural communities at leisure. Left-wing party leader Rico Gebhardt accuses the governing parties of throwing millions of dollars around, „without making a tangible contribution to restoring the ability of local authorities to act“. The green financial expert Franziska Schubert criticizes.
The green financial expert Franziska Schubert criticized: The coalition serves only generalities and neglect social issues as well as problems in local transport.
