NITO on the national budget: Calls for a contingency package for the municipalities
The requirements for local preparedness are increasing, but the focus on the municipalities is not being made. "The government's budget proposal is not proportionate to the challenges the municipalities are supposed to solve," says NITO President Kjetil Lein.
The Government proposes an increase of NOK 3.2 billion in the local government sector's unrestricted revenues next year. After increased costs related to demographic developments have been covered, the municipalities are left with an increased room for manoeuvre of only NOK 0.5 billion.
"At the same time, the Government proposes NOK 2.2 billion for state emergency preparedness measures. This is positive, but where is the focus on municipal preparedness? The municipalities manage critical infrastructure that citizens depend on every day, and which must also function in crises.
"This is not proportionate to the challenges the municipalities are facing. The municipalities have to deal with a growing need for investment in emergency preparedness, climate adaptation and critical infrastructure, at the same time as many are already struggling financially," Kjetil Lein points out.
Preparedness costs
The municipalities are responsible for large parts of the infrastructure that society depends on in everyday life and in crises. At the same time, the need for investment is increasing as a result of more extreme weather and a significant maintenance backlog.
"Municipal finances are preparedness. The municipalities are the first to face crises when they arise, so it is serious when the financial framework is not proportionate to the tasks they are expected to solve.
"When the municipalities have to prioritise harder, it is often investments in critical infrastructure that have to wait. This makes the local communities more vulnerable," says Lein.
Report confirms the challenges
Earlier this year, NITO presented the report "Against harsh reality", prepared by Menon Economics, on emergency preparedness in the technical sector in Norwegian municipalities.
The report showed that no municipalities meet all statutory requirements in the field of security and emergency preparedness.
Read the report here: https://www.nito.no/aktuelt/nito-i-samfunnet/beredskapssvikt-i-kommunene/
"The most worrying finding in the report is that the smallest municipalities come out the worst. They have the same responsibility as large municipalities, but far less professional communities and capacity. It is therefore difficult to understand why the government does not use the national budget to strengthen the municipalities' ability to prevent and manage crises," Lein concludes.
