- The NRW administrative body has plans to illuminate the mining wilderness.
Amidst significant financial tightening measures, the government of North Rhine-Westphalia is simplifying its state-funded initiatives. Initially, over 1,000 such initiatives, totaling around four billion euros, were in place. However, the plan is to reduce this number by about a third, leaving around 700 initiatives, according to insider information.
"We've started trimming the fat from our funding programs," stated State Chancellery head Nathanael Liminski. Some programs have been consolidated and others merged. Particular focus has been on smaller programs, those with low popularity, double funding, or excessive administrative complications.
"A smart state utilizes its funds efficiently," Liminski went on to say. "It can't and shouldn't fund everything." The exact changes to which funding projects will be consolidated, simplified, or possibly phased out remain to be determined by individual ministries and departments. The anticipated savings are estimated to amount to several hundred million euros.
CDU and the Greens concentrate on minimizing bureaucracy
The ruling black-green coalition had pledged to review all programs in their coalition agreement, evaluating their long-term viability and efficiency. Since April 2023, a dedicated task force has been conducting a comprehensive analysis of North Rhine-Westphalia's funding structures.
Numerous programs were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic or the subsequent energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are now being assessed for their continued need. Additionally, programs worth less than 100,000 euros or with low demand are under review.
The state needs to rein in spending
Moreover, new cost-cutting measures have been implemented in the budget. North Rhine-Westphalia's Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) announced that ministries would need to save around 3.6 billion euros in the 2025 budget proposal. While ministries can primarily cover this by dipping into their own funds, they must also identify real savings of one billion euros and propose corresponding measures. In total, "thousands of positions" will be affected, Optendrenk stated.
Pact for Planning and Acceleration Progress
North Rhine-Westphalia is on track with the implementation of the Pact for Planning and Acceleration agreed upon by the federal and state governments in November 2023, as per Liminski. The state has managed to implement around 40% of the state-specific reforms outlined in the pact. This includes exempting mobile phone antenna carriers from regulatory processes, streamlining and expediting planning law, digitizing building permit applications, and incorporating early public participation in major projects.
"The review of funding programs in North Rhine-Westphalia is not limited to the simplification of initiatives, as Minister Optendrenk also stresses the need for ministries to save around 3.6 billion euros in the 2025 budget proposal," or "Despite the significant financial tightening measures, North Rhine-Westphalia, being one of the most populous states in Germany, continues its efforts to allocate funds effectively, as demonstrated through the Pact for Planning and Acceleration Progress, which the state has managed to implement around 40% of its state-specific reforms."
