The 2024 Budget of the Junta de Andalucía has arrived at the Parliament of Andalusia for processing within a robot, which is part of a project aimed at helping dependent elderly people stay at home without having to enter a residence. An example, explained by the Minister of Economy, Finance and European Funds, Carolina España, what is the use of the money of the Andalusians, in the accounts for the next year that will increase the growth of 2% and the creation of 53,400 jobs thanks to a 5.5% increase in non-financial spending. There are 2,234 million euros more to invest compared to 2023 and 12,369 million compared to the budgets approved in 2018. Carolina España explained that social spending (62%) and support for the productive sectors and water (14%) monopolize spending, expected. a total of 46,753 million, 2.5% more than the current year and the highest in history.
Spain shows that behind the increase of money available to invest is the effect of inflation in the collection of a year in which the State settles the 2022 personal income tax and VAT income of the communities (doped at 8.3% CPI) . “better management” that makes it possible to reduce the amount of financial operations to cover debt by 25%, or leave the increase in current spending at 5.4%, while investment items grow at 6, 2%. The deficit forecast is 0.1%.
After six tax cuts since 2019, the Andalusian administration does not plan new tax cuts for 2024, but will instead analyze the impact of the measures taken so far before making new reductions.
Uncertainty
The advisor explained that the budgets are prepared with conservative forecasts in a context of uncertainty, since the State has not yet communicated whether the fiscal rules will be maintained, the autonomous communities do not yet know about the forecast for account deliveries or other information. . The recommendation of AiREF was followed, indicating Spain, not to increase the structural spending.
What the adviser confirmed is that the increase in money transferred by the State to the community is only due to the increase in collection in 2022, while the arrival of European funds is expected to decrease due to the end of 14/20. framework, and finalist transfers (transfers for policies that directly depend on the decision of the central government) are expected to fall to 31.8%.
Social spending
From the Board they explained that the budgets “again break the record of investments for social spending (Health, Education, Social Services, Work and Culture); support for productive fabric and hydraulics policy: 62 of every hundred euros of the budget invest in public services.
The Ministry of Health accounts for 30.47% of the expenditure, with 14,246 million euros, a figure that represents 7% of the Andalusian Gross Domestic Product. The Health budget is 3% more than last year and 44.7% more than the 2018 budget.
As for the Ministry of Education, it accounts for 18.9% of the expenditure: it will receive 8,866.2 million euros, 4.1% more than in 2023 and 40.1% more than established in the 2018 budgets. The items allocated to Education represents 5% of the Andalusian GDP when the 1,685 million euros included in the financing model of public universities are included.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth and Families increased its budget by 8.6%, up to 2,955 million euros. Within this policy, the Social Services and Dependency Agency (ASSDA) has a special importance, whose budget will grow by 11.5% in 2024 to reach a figure of 1,963.1 million euros, 65.4% more, that is 776.3 million more than in 2018.
EMPLOYMENT
Regarding the Department of Labor, its budget increased by 13.9%, up to 1,252.6 million euros. This is 153 million more than the Budget of 2023. The support for the productive fabric exceeds 6,000 million euros for the second consecutive year, reaching the figure of 6,274 million in 2024. This is 13.4% of the budget and includes policies for the economic and industrial revitalization of Andalusia, R&D&I, sustainable development and the agricultural sector, the most affected by the drought.
The latter will receive 2,767 million euros, 5.1% more than in 2023 and 44.1% in support items for the productive fabric. Also noteworthy are the Sustainable Development policies, which grew by 25.2%, to 710 million, and R&D&I and digitalization, which increased by 2.4%, accumulating to 921 million euros. In addition, Transportation Infrastructure policies will receive 1,149 million.
Regarding hydraulic policies, in addition to 1,500 million euros in works to ensure supply and tertiary use already invested by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the three orders of drought -approved (worth 300 million euros), another. 578 million euros specifically for water is considered in the Board’s Budget for 2024. These are investments for infrastructure construction works, improving the efficiency of existing ones and water channels and irrigation. The figure is 12% higher than what was allocated in the 2023 budget.
Self-finance
Although 76% of the budget costs in 2024 will be financed by its own resources that come from the Junta de Andalucía, known as self-financing, the European Funds also play an important role in these accounts, with 3,564 million which is euro, a number. that is 15.5% less than last year (655 million euros less). This reduction is due to the completion of the 2014-2020 framework and the lack of knowledge of the eligibility criteria for the development of projects included in the 2021-2027 framework.
On the other hand, the budgets increase the amount allocated to the municipalities, through the Municipal Cooperation Plan and the Patrica (the unconditional financing received by the municipalities). The Municipal Cooperation Plan has 2,113 million euros, 972 million more than in 2018 (representing an increase of 85%).
For its part, Patrica will rise again by 10 million euros to reach 530 million. This means that next year the municipalities will receive an accumulated amount of 180 million euros compared to what they received until 2018.
