The Government updates its key projects on entrepreneurship and employment
The Government has updated the action plan of its strategic Government Programme for the first time. There are new initiatives, particularly in the key Government projects on employment and competitiveness. New entrepreneurship and employment package measures will strength in particular conditions for growth, renewal and employment among SMEs. In recent years, 90–95% of new jobs in Finland have been created by SMEs.
The action plan is the Government’s restructuring programme, which specifies the means for achieving the key objectives of the Government Programme. It has been reconciled with the General Government Fiscal Plan 2017–2020, which was adopted in a Government plenary session today.
The Government has made a brisk start to implementing the key projects. For example, shop opening hours have been liberalised, growth funding for business has been strengthened, a basic income study has been implemented, and a unit assessing the impact of statutes has been established. In addition to concrete decisions, significant changes in operating practices have been launched, aimed at accelerating the achievement of the objectives and reducing the administrative burden on citizens, businesses and public authorities.
Finland needs simultaneously expenditure savings, major structural reforms and direct means of creating growth and employment. The Government’s objective is to raise Finland’s economy on to a path of sustainable growth and rising employment, and to secure the funding of public services and social security. Achieving the Government’s 72% employment rate requires above all an incentivising operating environment for businesses.
The Government on laid down concrete short- and long-term measures designed to increase the employment rate by enhancing the entrepreneurship package and preparing an employment package. The Government will boost growth and employment by, for example, lowering the employment threshold for sole entrepreneurs and introducing an innovation voucher and innovation bank, as well as through an employment programme for growth entrepreneurs and regional employment experiments.
Alongside shorter term measures, the Government will invest in structural reforms. Examples of this are the healthcare, social welfare and regional government reform package, cutting the costs of municipalities, counties and the entire public sector, and the across-the-board removal of red tape. Among the new initiatives focused on accelerating the restructuring of trade and industry while simultaneously creating new innovations are a digital business roadmap, increasing innovative public procurement, and measures aimed at utilising genome data.
Inquiries: Paula Lehtomäki, State Secretary, tel. +358 0295 160 280, Riina Nevamäki, Special Adviser (Political Affairs), tel. +358 9 1602 2009, Sirpa Kekkonen, Head of Government Strategy Secretariat, tel. +358 295 160 181 and Kimmo Hyrsky, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 295 160 191, Prime Minister’s Office