The Government has approved a credit supplement of 1,850 million euros to cover increases in spending. The measure is being carried out, as stated by the Catalan Executive, especially to guarantee the functioning of public services and face the increase in salaries of the 2% approved during the mandate of Pere Aragonès.
This expense will be financed with the income from the liquidation of the financing model for the year 2022 and the advance corresponding to the year 2024. The Catalan Cabinet has opted for this supplement after the attempt to carry out new budgets for 2024 failed. The Parliament forced the extension of the 2023 accounts in mid-March. Ultimately, the decision led the president of the Generalitat to call elections for May 12.
With this measure, the Government ensures that the necessary number of teachers, the approved labor improvements for health personnel and the regular financing of drugs and medical treatments will be guaranteed. Likewise, it will allow the investments already tendered to be carried out.
"The objective of the decree law is to enable the budgetary credits necessary to guarantee the proper functioning of public services and to meet spending commitments that, due to their urgent and unavoidable nature, cannot be postponed into the following year," the Government maintains. . Its spokesperson, Patrícia Plaja, has specified that a large part of the planned expenses belong to the areas of health and education, but expenses linked to agreements and legal mandates, such as salary increases, are also included.
The 2024 budget provided for an increase of 3.2 billion euros compared to last year's numbers. Specifically, just over 2,400 were allocated for actual and ordinary expenses; the rest, 800 million, were part of a special health supplement. With today's 1,850 credit supplement, Plaja has assured that the expected amount if the new accounts have been approved is partially offset.
The 1,850 million euros are added to the 145 million that were approved on March 26 to guarantee urgent investments and aid in the area of drought.
The Government has issued a decree law to carry out the agreement, so it will be the permanent deputation of the Parliament (the body with a reduced representation of deputies that assumes the functions of the Catalan Chamber) who must endorse it within a maximum period of 30 days . In any case, Plaja has assumed that there will be no obstacles: "We believe that it can have broad support, the country needs it. We are talking about money that has an immediate impact on the daily lives of Catalans."
