Budget to earmark EUR 200 million for data security

Reduced tax revenue, improved employment expected next year

print this

The government is putting a high priority on improving the security of the data networks of public administration over the next three years.
      The budget proposal published by the Ministry of Finance on Friday sets aside EUR 197 million for the purpose. The Ministry of Defence is getting EUR 122.4 million for its data security needs, and the Ministry of the Interior is getting EUR 74.6 million.
      The aim is to protect the data networks against online attacks, as well as emergencies and technical problems.
      The Finance Ministry’s proposal assumes slower growth in state income revenue, and a reduced ability to pay off state debt.
     
State Secretary Risto Volanen says that work is continuing on the plan for improving data security, which will be completed in the autumn.
      “The state needs to deal with both the network security of society and that of all state officials. This applies to many different areas of administration”, says Voianen, who heads the steering group of the project.
      The project’s schedule and its details will be decided once the plan is completed. The project will not involve the construction of a new nationwide network.
      The aim is to help the existing private and state-owned networks function together more efficiently.
     
Weaker economic growth and decisions by the government to cut taxes are reflected in the budget proposal put forward by the Ministry of Finance in the form of a sharp slowdown in the pace of paying off the state debt.
      The surplus in the state budget is projected to fall by 87 per cent, down from EUR 2.5 billion this year to EUR 332 million in 2009. The surplus is traditionally used for paying off the debt.
      Tax revenue is expected to grow next year by only one per cent.
      According to figures put out by Statistics Finland, tax revenue grew in the early part of this year by 7.9 per cent, compared with last year.
      The Ministry of Finance expects employment to continue to improve next year.
     
No massive disagreements exist between the Finance Ministry and the other ministries over the budget. The proposals of the various ministries will be assessed and a budget proposal is to be hammered out by the whole government in budget talks in late August, and later in the Parliament’s budget debate. Under the current proposal, the final sum of the budget will be EUR 45.8 billion.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Budget: Finance Minister Katainen proposes EUR 800 million in tax cuts (1.8.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat