Draft budget of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs 2009 published
Press release 274/2008
1 August, 2008
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland proposed in its draft budget for 2009 to the Ministry of Finance on 15 May a total of EUR 1,175.8 million to be granted for the administrative branch. This is EUR 8.2 million more than the assigned spending limits. The exceeding amount is due to the extension of the civil crisis management and to the cooperation of neighbouring areas as stated in the Strategy for the administrative branch.
The Foreign Ministry has presented in its draft budget 2009 the objectives for social effectiveness as stated in the Strategy of the Ministry. It has also revised the structure and grounds of the draft budget 2009.
The draft budget proposed for the operating expense item to be granted EUR 202.2 million. The EUR 0.7 million exceeding the assigned spending limits are due to pay policy measures as employer. As part of the Foreign Service Productivity Programme, the aim is to cut down 30 posts in the Foreign Service in the course of 2009. Payment-related and financial administration processes as laid down in the service contract will be transferred to the Service Centre of the Defence Administration as of the beginning of 2009.
The draft budget proposed EUR 58.9 million to the maintenance of the Finnish crisis management troops and EUR 18.5 million to the participation of the civil personnel which exceeds the assigned spending limits by EUR 3.9 million. The estimated number of hired personnel in military and civil crisis operations is 1.150 person-years in 2009.
EUR 20.5 million was proposed for cooperation with neighbouring areas which exceeds the assigned spending limits by EUR 2.5 million. The activities are scheduled to focus more than previously on the development of financial cooperation.
The development cooperation expenses of the State are estimated to total EUR 910.1 in 2009 which corresponds to 0.46 percent of the gross national income. Under the main title, item Actual development cooperation was proposed EUR 730.9 million as assigned for this administrative branch. EUR 4.1 million of the development cooperation appropriations have been transferred for operating expenses to be used for administrative expenses of development cooperation.
The sum of EUR 15 million is presented to raise the capital of Finnfund, the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. The appropriation for that item has been transferred from the item for international development cooperation.
The draft budget proposes EUR 99.9 million for membership fees and financing contributions.
The administrative branch of the Foreign Ministry is estimated to receive EUR 1.5 million of different refunds that are not included in the Ministry’s operating expenses.
More information: Katja Bordi, Budget Planner, tel. +358 9 1605 5990, for development cooperation: Riitta Oksanen, Head of General Development Policy and Planning Unit, tel. +358 9 1605 6172, and for cooperation of neighbouring areas: Anneli Puura-Märkälä, Head of Unit, tel. +358 9 1605 5625
Draft budget of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs 2009 (in Finnish) (Opens New Window)