With regard to the draft budget, the Basque Government highlights four points: Public investment will increase by 50% compared to 2021, with a "firm commitment" to the R & D area (which will allocate approximately 10% more), which will be allocated almost 8 out of 10 euros for social expenditure (77% of the project corresponds to social policies) and which includes the Covid-19 programme, with 349 million euros.

On the other hand, the budget will respond to “the three major transitions: technological and digital, the energy and climate transition and the social and health transition. The Basque Government must address the crisis caused by COVID-19 and the economic and social consequences of the crisis, as well as the main objectives of government action.”

The Basque Government has also reported that the deficit in the Basque Country will be 0.9% and that it is planned to reduce indebtedness by EUR 1,122.8 million.

The draft budget is expected to be adopted on 23 December.

Osakidetza, UPV, TAV, RGI, EITB…

The public money allocated to each department shall be as follows:

Health: EUR 4,352 million. Of these, EUR 3,333 million will be allocated to Osakidetza (EUR 116.6 million more, according to the Basque Government).

Education: EUR 3.235 million. Staff and operating costs amount to EUR 1,738 million. Education from 0 to 3 years maintains a budget of EUR 30 million, the Haurreskolak consortium has a budget of EUR 59 million and the University of the Basque Country has a budget of 356 million.

Work and employment: EUR 936.2 million. The Basque Government stresses that the Income Guarantee Income amounts will increase by 3% and that the Supplementary Housing Benefit will increase by 10%.

Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment: EUR 777.4 million. “The budget is increased in industrial development (EUR 41 million), technology (EUR 19 million), digital transformation (EUR 10 million), ports (EUR 7.6 million), agriculture (EUR 8.6 million) and environment (EUR 7.7 million). Investments in SPRI, SPRILUR and Technology Parks have also increased to almost EUR 58 million (40 million more).

Safety: EUR 725.1 million.

Territorial Planning, Housing and Transportation: EUR 564.4 million. The amount foreseen for the Basque Y and the Southern Variant is EUR 56.4 million. (EUR 57.6 million more than in 2021, says the Basque Government).

Equality, Justice and Social Policies EUR 528.6 million. Emakunde will have a budget of EUR 7.4 million and the Development Cooperation Agency will have EUR 50.2 million. It will have a budget of EUR 42.5 million for Social Emergency Aid and the fight against energy poverty. It includes the new Penitentiary Program, with EUR 70 million.

Culture and Language Policy: EUR 322.4 million. The HABE budget is around EUR 46 million.

Public Governance and Self-government: EUR 139.2 million. The IVAP will maintain a budget of EUR 20.8 million for the next financial year.

Economy and Finance: EUR 128,6 million. “The most striking thing in this section is the contribution of EUR 50 million to the Finkatuz fund through the Basque Institute of Finance and EUR 7 million to cover financial expenses,” the public body stressed.

Tourism, Trade and Consumption: EUR 52.1 million. EUR 22.4 million to the Directorate of Tourism and Hospitality, EUR 19.9 million to Commerce and almost EUR 6 million to Kontsumobide.

Presidency: EUR 35.5 million. The novelty is that a Basque delegation will be opened in Paris, for which the investment will be around EUR 1.1 million.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Economic forecasts

The Basque Government has announced that the expected growth in the CVC by 2021 will remain at 6.7%, “despite the uncertainties that make it necessary to act prudently, such as the price of energy or the lack of industrial supplies”. Forecasts for 2022 have improved: Increase of 6.4%.