The assembly of the North Province voted this morning unanimously its original budget for the year 2021. It is down by 1.8 billion compared to 2019. The draft budget meets two objectives: the control of spending and maintaining its investment capacity.
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It therefore amounts to 35.2 billion francs ….. 10.5 billion in investment and 24.6 billion in operation. With a 1.8 billion less revenue, the budget of the North province, is once again revised downwards.
“The objective is to generate gross savings in order to be able to continue investing. It is in this sense that we are working on decreases in operating expenses so it is not a redirection of available credits but it is is above all to be able to preserve the investment policy “ explains Yannick Slamet, second vice-president.
Revised downwards
The maintenance of the investment is guaranteed thanks to a multi-year plan 7.7 billion and a loan from 2 billion. It should be noted that there will be no new investments in 2021, only projects already underway will continue to be funded.
It is the operating part that is affected, minus 1.8 billion francs; the effort will focus on a reduction in the wage bill … less 3% and a reduction in social assistance … less 11.5% and the displacement of fields of competence towards New Caledonia, in particular hospitals.
A difficult context
The prudence budget was therefore voted unanimously in a still difficult global context and with a lack of visibility of the amount of tax revenues from New Caledonia. These are the two points that the UNI and UC-FLNKS group reiterated in their voting statements.
“We must indeed ensure the payment of the operating allocations necessary to guarantee a satisfactory level of services offered to the population” says Magalie Tengal, of the UC-FLNKS group.
“It is in my opinion thanks to a rigorous and sincere governance in the management of the community that today the North Province, can continue to assume the services intended for the population” explains Ivana Bouanou, head of the UNI Province Nord group.
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