The Ministry of Finance presented the main points of its proposal for next year’s state budget on Tuesday. Helsingin Sanomat has learned that there is disagreement among government ministers on allocation of funding for transport projects.
Minister of Finance Antti Kalliomäki (SDP) described his budget proposal as "comforting", but warned of an impending crisis threatening the welfare state, if tight reins are not kept on state finances.
"The starting point in this budget has been that in the future we must secure sufficient economic growth and growth in employment", he emphasised.
Employment is a key focal point of the budget proposal. Big projects in transport infrastructure are also in store. A separate model is being drafted to help those with the lowest incomes. There will be discussions about that at the end of the month in the budget talks involving all government ministers.
The discussions will also touch upon the issue of zoning in growth centres - an issue which Kalliomäki took up in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday.
"If necessary, the state must oblige municipalities to be more efficient in zoning", he said on Tuesday.
Kalliomäki says that the property tax could be one way to encourage more construction: for instance owners of an unbuilt property could be made to pay a higher property tax than one with houses or apartments.
Three large transport projects that are set to get more funding in next year’s budget include the second phase of the construction of a ring road for Tampere, improvements on Highway 20 between Oulu and Korvenkylä, and the Raahe maritime channel.
Minister of Transport and Communications Leena Luhtanen (SDP) said that her ministry would stick to the set of priorities in transport projects. She says that the Ministry of Finance is acting against those priorities, and that the issue had been discussed by the government’s committee on economic policy.
