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Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport Sampo Terho, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo at the yard of the prime minister’s official residence, Kesäranta, before the beginning of the budget negotiations for 2018 in Helsinki, Finland on August 30, 2017. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
The two-day negotiations of government’s budget for 2018 have concluded in the prime minister’s official residence, Kesäranta, in Helsinki on Thursday afternoon.
Some of the most important topics in the negotiations included security, lower costs of day care and the increase of alcohol tax. We picked five of the most important topics.
1. 17 million euros are going to be earmarked for internal security. The terrorist attack in Turku prompted the government to discuss internal security as one of the most important topics.
2. The Aliens Act and the Nationality Act will be amended. Citizenship or refugee status will be canceled from dual citizens who have committed a terrorist act.
According to Finance Minister Petteri Orpo, the debt of government will be 2.96 billion euros in deficit, two billion euros less than predicted in spring 2017. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
3. Alcohol tax will be raised by 100 million euros. In addition, the taxes for heating, the taxes for construction machines and the taxes for power plant fuels will be increased.
4. The costs of early childhood education will be decreased.
5. An unemployed citizen can apply for unemployment benefits without the need of seeking an evaluation from the Employment and Economic Office when studying full-time and the studies last at least six months.
