Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – One day before the final vote in the state parliament, the black-green NRW state government changed its budget at the last minute. Thanks to higher tax revenues than expected, the CDU and Greens are withdrawing the “extraordinary emergency situation” for 2022 that has already been determined by the state parliament. Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) said on Monday. This means that the second supplementary budget for 2022 that has already been introduced will also be withdrawn. The state financial emergency will continue to be announced for the coming year due to the poor economic forecasts.
The planned debt-financed special fund for crisis management of up to five billion euros will also be decided for 2023, said Optendrenk. The state is also sticking to the planned first tranche of the special fund of 1.6 billion euros. Around 50 measures from poverty reduction to business aid are to be financed from this. However, unlike planned, the payment of the aid could only start in 2023 and not at the end of this year, according to the minister.
With the determination of the emergency situation, it is possible to take out loans beyond the limit of the debt brake. This is a prerequisite for the state government to be able to form the special fund of up to five billion euros.
Actually, the state parliament should meet on Tuesday for its last session before Christmas and pass all budget laws for 2023. Now the AfD parliamentary group has applied for a third final reading of the law on special assets. This means that the state parliament has to meet and vote again on Wednesday.