Shadow budget focuses on jobs and pensioners
The Social Democrats promised generous tax cuts to pensioners in the shadow budged unveiled on Wednesday, going even further than the government in attempts to woo the over-60 vote.
While the government's recently unveiled autumn budget bill includes 2.5 billion ($390 million) in tax cuts for pensioners, the Social Democrats hope to sweeten the pot even further with an additional 1.3 billion kronor in tax reductions, the Expressen newspaper reported.
For the average pensioner, the Social Democrats' proposal would result in a tax reduction of around 150 kronor per month.
The party's economic policy spokeswoman, Magdalena Andersson, also said the Social Democrats planned to spend 5.1 billion kronor next year to guarantee that the 35,000 young people in Sweden who have been out of work for more than six months would have a job or be enrolled in job training programmes within 90 days.
Andersson called the investment "an important first step" toward the Social Democrats' goal of Sweden having the lowest unemployment in the EU by 2020.
In addition, the party plans to spend 800 million kronor to train people to work in fields where there is currently a lack of qualified workers.
The Social Democrats also plan to devote 2.1 billion kronor to what Andersson called "more time for care" which will entail the employment of more workers within the health care sector as well as attempts to reduce the administrative burden they face.
Other initiatives the Social Democrats hope to fun include investments for smaller school classes, as well as raising the ceiling for unemployment insurance payments.
TT/The Local/dl
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While the government's recently unveiled autumn budget bill includes 2.5 billion ($390 million) in tax cuts for pensioners, the Social Democrats hope to sweeten the pot even further with an additional 1.3 billion kronor in tax reductions, the Expressen newspaper reported.
For the average pensioner, the Social Democrats' proposal would result in a tax reduction of around 150 kronor per month.
The party's economic policy spokeswoman, Magdalena Andersson, also said the Social Democrats planned to spend 5.1 billion kronor next year to guarantee that the 35,000 young people in Sweden who have been out of work for more than six months would have a job or be enrolled in job training programmes within 90 days.
Andersson called the investment "an important first step" toward the Social Democrats' goal of Sweden having the lowest unemployment in the EU by 2020.
In addition, the party plans to spend 800 million kronor to train people to work in fields where there is currently a lack of qualified workers.
The Social Democrats also plan to devote 2.1 billion kronor to what Andersson called "more time for care" which will entail the employment of more workers within the health care sector as well as attempts to reduce the administrative burden they face.
Other initiatives the Social Democrats hope to fun include investments for smaller school classes, as well as raising the ceiling for unemployment insurance payments.
TT/The Local/dl
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