SKL needed tax increases of 45 billion – Sveriges Radio

Bettina Kashefi, chief economist at SKL, says it will require tax increases of 45 billion to cover the increased costs.

– What we see very clearly in our calculations, we have an emergency the situation in 2018, if nothing else happens and it continues even during the 2019th

What is it that makes the greatest importance for the country’s municipalities and county councils when it comes to the economy?

– It is very important to continue to work with efficiency. Then there is a central aspect of getting people into work as quickly as possible. The most important thing a municipality and a county council have the tax base that generates by far the most important revenue of the business.

Will there be tax increases?

– Somehow we cover the funding gap that exists, says Bettina Kashefi.

the next few years will local governments to cope thanks to the Swedish economy has high growth but then it becomes a problem if not taxes raised. The SKL writes in his report.

Another explanation is that a larger portion of the costs of the new arrivals who have come in recent times then falls on the municipalities.

A minus in SKL calculations is that they do not take into account that the Migration Board yesterday cut its forecast of how many asylum seekers are expected this year with about 40 000 people.

But based on the old figures SKL believe that it will require tax increases of 45 billion by 2019, corresponding to almost two per hundred served.

– somehow, we have to cover the funding gap we look forward, says Kashefi.

the costs of municipalities is expected according SKL increase by nine percent this year, partly because it requires expensive workarounds to care for newcomers.

in the future will also increase the cost of housing, education and care. Although the county councils expect cost increases of around five percent in 2016.

Bettina Kashefi at SKL hope that the increased immigration to be a winning ticket for local governments in the long term.

we have a large supply of workers in health care, education and care, and we have a recruitment problem and we will do this well and we see that people are matched to the available jobs in a fast and efficient way can this be a real win-win situation.

Claes Aronsson
claes.aronsson@sverigesradio.se