For Drenthe, the Spring Memorandum of the Cabinet means a solid investment in accessibility, legal certainty and local facilities. This seems to be taking a clear step towards the frequently heard desire to do ‘more for the region’.
In the agreement that the coalition parties have reached after days of negotiations, several measures are announced that will affect the region immediately. Among other things, money has been made available for the Lower Saxony Line and the Social Advocatuur. There will also be extra money for municipalities and the Ministry of Defense receives financial support.
The biggest hit for the north is the award of 1.9 billion euros for the Lower Saxony Line. With this amount, a missing rail trajectory of approximately 30 kilometers can be constructed between Stadskanaal and Emmen. 100 million euros has also been made available to resolve the so -called bottle neck in the track near Meppel.
In large parts of the province, only one lawyer is active in this area. These lawyers often deal with cases about benefits or conflicts with government agencies, and depend on government fees. Through years of spending cuts, those reimbursements have been eroded, and the number of social lawyers has fallen drastically. The new investment must alleviate the pressure on existing lawyers and contribute to better legal protection. Especially for people in a vulnerable position.
The Municipal Fund also gets a considerable boost. Municipalities receive billions extra to continue to pay facilities such as swimming pools, libraries, village houses and youth care. This allows the dreaded ‘canyon year’, in which municipalities threatened to end up in the red figures financially, to a large extent.
The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) had previously warned that many provisions would be at stake without additional financing. For Drenthe municipalities, this support means that they have more financial room to keep their budgets closing and to maintain their social and cultural infrastructure.
The Ministry of Defense also benefits from the Spring Memorandum. The budget is structurally increased by 1.1 billion euros. It is not yet clear how exactly that money is distributed. But it is likely that the extra investment also has positive consequences for the barracks in Assen and Havelte. Think of maintenance, expansion or reinforcement of staff.
The total spring memorandum consists of a wide range of investments and expenses. The energy tax is reduced by 200 million euros, the increase in excise duty on alcohol is canceled, and social rents are frozen.
There is also extra money for childcare, and the WIA system is reformed with a structural injection of 200 million euros. The WIA system regulates the benefits for people who are (partially) incapacitated for work due to illness or an accident.
Exactly where the money comes from is partly clear. Cutbacks seem inevitable, but the details about it remain vague for the time being. An important part is paid from so-called wage and price adjustment: money that ministries have not issued. The annual growth of government spending is also limited. The precise coverage will be announced later, probably after the Council of Ministers of tomorrow.