Finland: 2018 Budget Contains Alcohol Tax Increase
Finland’s government has announced plans to increase spending on law enforcement and security in its state budget for 2018, as well as raising pensions and increasing alcohol taxes.
Finland’s state budget for 2018 was announced with few surprises in the €55.7 billion spending plan. The government plans to increase the basic state pension by €15 per month, increase alcohol taxation and boost funding for the police and the security intelligence police by a total of €50 million.
There are also plans to make it easier for unemployed people to study without losing out financially, and to reform Finland’s generous system of parental leave. The government is also investing €5 million into a trial of free early years education in 2018 – 2019.
The budget contains plans to take on some €2.9 billion of additional state debt during 2018.