LINZ. “It’s a feat of strength to be prepared for the future.” This is how Economic Councilor Markus Achleitner (VP) commented yesterday, Tuesday, on the location budget he presented for 2023. This is part of the state budget that the heads of the state government presented two weeks ago. Achleitner’s areas of focus are energy, digitization and the labor market. Among other things, subsidies for heating replacement will be increased.
In total, around 425 million euros are estimated to be spent on the site in 2023. That is 59.9 million euros more than this year and more than ever before, said Achleitner, who took over the department from Michael Strugl in 2018. Over five years, the plus is 129 million euros.
On the revenue side, the country is benefiting from rising inflation and higher tax revenue, as reported.
Economics, labor market, energy, science and research, regional planning, tourism, sports and the state holding are bundled in Achleitner’s department. There are four priorities for 2023: economy (job market, tourism, broadband), science and research, spatial planning, energy. The largest chunk of the 425 million euros is accounted for by the economy at 121.5 million euros.
The largest percentage increase is in energy, Achleitner said. Almost 35 million euros are estimated here, after around 15 million euros this year. “Upper Austria is already playing a pioneering role in the energy transition, but we want to speed things up even more,” said the Provincial Councilor. The subsidies for replacing fossil heating systems with biomass heating systems would therefore also be increased, mainly because of the rush of applications. Instead of the previous three, it will now be 10.46 million euros.
Additional leeway
The state council also has high hopes for the newly created “Future Fund”, which was already presented in the state budget. By 2026, 200 million euros will be available every year across all state departments. This money is to be used primarily for public transport, broadband expansion, the energy industry and research funding. Of the 200 million euros, 61.6 million euros are “new money”. As before, 98 million euros will come from the department budgets, 40.4 million euros from the current “Upper Austria Plan”. The fund is intended to provide additional leeway.
SPÖ, Greens and Neos had recently criticized this. Much of the fund is “well known”, there is “hardly any new money”. SPÖ business spokesman Hans-Karl Schaller complained yesterday that Achleitner was forgetting a strategy against a shortage of skilled workers and the potential of women in the labor market in the budget. Achleitner referred to the pact for work and qualification, which counteracts the shortage and appeals most to women. (Rome)
Source: Nachrichten
