The Foment del Treball employers’ association demanded this Monday that the Parliament approve an extension of the extended 2024 budget by 2,000 million euros to allocate it equally to health and the fight against drought. In reality, since the elections are called, the so-called credit extension must be validated by the Government of the Generalitat and subsequently ratified by the permanent deputation of the Parliament. This body that reproduces the balance of political forces exercises certain functions of the Parliament, such as approving some regulations.
The aforementioned increase in budget credit is expected to be validated at tomorrow’s regular meeting of the Executive Council, although the amount is unknown. Sources consulted said that the expansion that the Government plans to validate will be for an amount less than those 2,000 million, since the law establishes limitations when there are no budgets.
According to Foment, which published a statement yesterday, “the non-approval of the Budget of the Generalitat of Catalonia for the year 2024 has meant, among other issues, that it has not been possible to provide an extraordinary fund for Health spending, estimated at 800 million of euros, as well as the budgetary allocation for the investments that must be deployed in order to face the drought that Catalonia is suffering.” The figure of 1,000 million for health and another 1,000 for drought is a Foment calculation based on what was initially budgeted by the Government. The accounts forecast an increase in spending of 2.4 billion by 2024.
In addition, the organization that represents businessmen recalled that “unless credit supplements are approved, these resources cannot be transferred until 2025.” Foment said that “given the rule that limits the existence of a public deficit,” it is not possible to transfer money not spent this year to the next. Simply spending less will generate a surplus, which cannot be spent next year.
Foment said that both health and the fight against drought “have not been the subject of political controversy and it would be optimal to be able to deploy them with 2024 budget resources.” Therefore, he considered that it should not be a problem to validate it in the permanent deputation of the Parliament.
The employers’ association added that “this week it will send its economic proposals to all political groups” in view of the elections on May 12.
