Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – According to the financial policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Guido Heuer, Saxony-Anhalt must limit its spending more. “In the future we absolutely have to set priorities,” he said on Monday in Magdeburg. This year he was reacting to the President of the State Audit Office, Kay Barthel, who had previously pointed out the record level of debt, steadily growing state budgets and high interest rate risks.
“For the coming years, this means that the state’s benefit laws must be reviewed,” emphasized Heuer. “If new jobs are needed, other jobs have to be cut. If we create new permanent statuses, we have to reduce other permanent statuses. The country has to reduce its spending.” It is no longer possible to finance every desired project.
Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament approved the budget for the current year in May, which envisages record spending of more than 13 billion euros. At the same time, a mountain of debt of 23.4 billion euros has piled up. Next up is the budget for 2023. The Ministry of Finance said on Monday that talks are currently underway with the departments with the aim of being able to present a balanced draft budget to the state parliament in September.
