Heere: Ruling has no impact on the state budget
Lower Saxony's Finance Minister Gerald Heere sees no direct impact on the state budget as a result of the ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court. "Corona funds from the federal government have been used elsewhere. We have not done that in Lower Saxony. On the contrary: we have repaid 2.1 billion euros in unneeded loans this year alone," the Green politician told the "Nordwest-Zeitung" (Thursday).
The Finance Minister emphasized that everything that was no longer needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic would be repaid. "That's why my ministry will probably draw up a new financing plan for the special fund at the beginning of next year," said Heere.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the Covid special fund peaked at around 8.1 billion euros. Around 4.3 billion euros have been drawn down so far, 2.1 billion have been repaid and around 1.7 billion are still available.
The Federal Constitutional Court had declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the 2021 federal budget null and void. The money had been approved as a coronavirus loan, but was subsequently to be used for climate protection and modernizing the economy. It is now no longer available. At the same time, the judges also ruled that the state may not reserve emergency loans for later years. Instead, an emergency situation must be declared anew each year.
The state budget for 2024 is to be adopted in the December plenary session. Heere cited a higher salary for many teachers, higher hospital investments and more money for climate protection and the renovation of state-owned buildings as priorities for the budget.
Despite utilizing their own funds for coronavirus-related expenses, Finances Minister Heere mentions that there won't be a significant impact on the Household budget of Lower Saxony due to the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling. With excess funds from the Covid special fund, Heere plans to draft a new financing plan for the special fund at the start of the next year.
Source: www.dpa.com
