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Finanziaria nordirlandese 2011-2015: molti tagli e pochi ricavi

Draft budget brings ‘pain and gain’

The draft budget unveiled by Finance Minister Sammy Wilson contains £4bn in spending cuts with the promise of almost £1bn in new revenue to help ease the pain.

Sammy WIlson, DUPMr Wilson presented the long-awaited four-year blueprint to the Assembly after it was agreed on Tuesday following late-night talks.

Half the revenue-raising target will be achieved by a major sell-off of publicly-owned assets, with other measures including £150m generated from an inflationary increase in rates, £16m brought in from a levy on plastic bags and £80m from housing association assets.

The Executive also plans to raise £35m over four years by tapping in to the Belfast Harbour Commission resources, but this figure could rise to £125m.

Mr Wilson said: “We have proved that we can take difficult decisions, we have proved we can reach agreement.

“We have proved we can work together for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland.”

The budget of the Education Department will be cut by up to £70m over four years.

But the health and social services budget, along with provisions for the justice department, are to be partially ring-fenced.

No water charges are to be introduced in the next four years.

The most controversial plan is a two-year pay freeze for public sector workers earning over £21,000 per year.

A temporary postponement of civil service recruitment will also be put in place, while ministers are expected to “agree to an arrangement that equates to a voluntary salary reduction”.

Spending on consultants is to be reduced by 10% year on year, while quangos are to be reviewed ahead of a bill early next year.

‘Priorities’

Parlamento di Stormont | Stormont ParliamentMr Wilson announced that £18.8m is to be spent over the next three years on getting unemployed people back to work, with the aim of creating 4,000 – 5,000 jobs.

A £20m Social Investment Fund, aiming to take forward area-improvement projects in deprived communities and a £20m Social Protection Fund will also be established to assist the most vulnerable.

Provisions will also be made for an assistance package to “put an end to the long nightmare” faced by PMS savers, the DUP minister said.

It will be financed by £175m borrowed under the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative in 2011-12, and sums of £25m each from the Executive and Treasury.

A commitment has also been made to participate in the Green New Deal, which will improve energy efficiency and create construction sector jobs.

And a number of infrastructure projects – including a police and fire service training facility in Cookstown, a radiography centre in Alnagelvin Hospital, water and sewerage network upgrades, and the sports stadiums – are all said to be going ahead as planned.

An extra £5m will also be devoted to helping build new film studios in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.

First Minister Peter Robinson said the “strategic budget” will help encourage job creation in the region.

“It hasn’t been the case of trying to make allocations to keep ministers happy”, he said.

Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness defended his role in handling cuts to the region while his party is opposing cuts in the Republic of Ireland.

“It’s different here by dint of the fact that our budget is controlled by a British Government in London, and now a Tory-led Government. It is that Government that has imposed the cuts on us.

“We challenged ourselves, and all of the good ideas that came out, which have allowed us to base our budgetary predictions on the revenue-raising that we have successfully dealt with, puts us in a completely different position than the conditions in Dublin,” he said.

Closing his speech, Mr Wilson told MLAs the completion of the draft budget showed “the benefits of local decision making for local people and reflects the priorities of the people of Northern Ireland.”

The plan was approved by the DUP, Sinn Féin and Alliance Party, but the SDLP and Ulster Unionists abstained. Mr Wilson said no minister voted to oppose the deal.

UUP finance spokesman David McNarry said the party will take time to examine the blueprint.

“Agreeing a budget is necessary to give certainty to all Executive departments and associated bodies, to the economy and the general public,” Mr McNarry said.

“We will be engaging with various sectors and stakeholders to examine the impact of the budget on the wider community.”

SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie said: “Many of the better elements of this budget are reflective of SDLP ideas.

“However, there are elements we believe need to be improved in order to ensure the budget is fit for purpose.”

Alliance spokesperson Stephen Farry said there should be “no euphoria”.

“It is late, and some painful and challenging times lie ahead. But it is a relief that there is now some stability and certainty on the road ahead”, the Alliance MLA said.

Northern Ireland is the last devolved administration to strike a draft budget following the Spending Review statement by Chancellor George Osborne in October.

The 2011-2015 spending plans are now available for public consultation.

Budget unveiled

“We’ve given certainty” – Wilson

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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