Government proposal to Parliament for an Act on the Temporary Amendment of the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (targeted extension of the deadline for covering the deficit)

VM072:00/2025 Statute drafting

It is proposed that the Act on wellbeing services counties be temporarily supplemented so that wellbeing services counties that fully balance their finances and do not accumulate a new deficit in 2025 can, as part of central government steering, be granted, if necessary, the possibility to cover the deficits incurred before 2025 by 2028 at the latest.

Current events

Project number VM072:00/2025

Case numbers VN/20605/2025

Set by Ministry of Finance

Task class Preparation of a government proposal

Term/schedule 26.6.2025 –

Date of appointment 17.6.2025

deficit (economics)

1
Under preparation

Adopted in the plan for the session period on 5.9.2025
2
Current stage: Estimated week of presentation

Estimated new week of presentation 48/2025
3
Submitted to Parliament
4
Statute adopted

Minister in chargeMinister of Local and Regional Government Ikonen

Contact person
Kirsi Ruuhonen, Hallitusneuvos
tel. +358 295 530 413
[email protected]

Project status

Round for comments

Lausuntoja voi olla sekä lausuntopalvelu.fi:ssä että hankkeen asiakirjoissa.

Lausuntopalvelu.fi

Additional information

Tiedote: Talouttaan tasapainottaville hyvinvointialueille harkinnanvarainen määräajan jatkaminen alijäämien kattamiseen

Documents

Lausuntopyyntö_HE laiksi hyvinvointialueesta annetun lain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta PDF

25.9.2025 Ministry of Finance
HE laiksi hyvinvointialueesta annetun lain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta PDF

25.9.2025 Ministry of Finance
Begäran om utlåtande_RP med förslag till lag om ändring och temporär ändring av lagen om välfärdsområden PDF

25.9.2025 Ministry of Finance
HE laiksi hyvinvointialueesta annetun lain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta_RU PDF

25.9.2025 Ministry of Finance

Goals and results

No general extension of the deficit coverage period is being prepared for all wellbeing services counties. Instead, the main rule remains that deficits must be covered by the end of 2026.

However, the wellbeing services counties that fully balance their finances could, by decision of the Ministry of Finance, be allowed a discretionary extension to cover the deficits incurred before 2025 by the end of 2028 at the latest. The amendment would apply to wellbeing services counties, which will not accumulate a new deficit in 2025.

As a rule, the extension would be possible by supplementing the regulation of statutory steering processes so that every region will retain incentives to cover its deficit as quickly as possible.

Starting points

The financial situation of the wellbeing services counties has been challenging during their first two years of operation. The combined accumulated deficit for the years 2023–2024 amounts to €2.45 billion, which equals €438 per resident or approximately 10% of the state funding for 2024. However, for the majority of counties, the economic outlook has improved during the latter part of 2024, and the growth in costs has slowed compared to earlier. It is important to ensure that this positive trend continues.

It is essential that the counties take all possible measures to balance their finances already in 2025, so that the adjustment pressures for 2026 will not be as severe. In 2025, the counties’ financial situation will be eased by the statutory retroactive adjustment of funding based on the actual costs of 2023 (approximately €1.4 billion).

However, the situations of the counties have diverged. The aim of the legislative amendment is to ensure that counties undertaking significant reforms in their operations and finances will have the opportunity to cover their deficits within a discretionary extension period. The legislation under preparation also aims to prevent the realization of unforeseen and uncontrollable impacts on public finances.

Talouttaan tasapainottaville hyvinvointialueille harkinnanvarainen määräajan jatkaminen alijäämien kattamiseen

Ministry of Finance Press release 25.9.2025 15.36

Developing and statute drafting in the Government

The ministries implement the Government Programme, draft acts and other statutes, and promote reforms through different kinds of projects, working groups and bodies. Information on all this is available on the Government website.

All ministries' projects are available on the Government website valtioneuvosto.fi/en/projects

Government proposal to Parliament for an Act on the Temporary Amendment of the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (targeted extension of the deadline for covering the deficit)

Current events

Basic information In progress

Law drafting

Government proposal for an Act on the Temporary Amendment of the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (discretionary extension for deficit coverage)

Under preparation

Current stage: Estimated week of presentation

Submitted to Parliament

Statute adopted

Project status

25.9.2025 – 31.10.2025 Lausuntoaika 25.9.2025–31.10.2025

Additional information

Documents

Goals and results

Starting points

Read more

Talouttaan tasapainottaville hyvinvointialueille harkinnanvarainen määräajan jatkaminen alijäämien kattamiseen

Developing and statute drafting in the Government

Government proposal to Parliament for an Act on the Temporary Amendment of the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (targeted extension of the deadline for covering the deficit)

Current events

Lausuntoaika 25.9.2025–31.10.2025

Basic information In progress

Law drafting

Government proposal for an Act on the Temporary Amendment of the Act on Wellbeing Services Counties (discretionary extension for deficit coverage)

Under preparation

Current stage: Estimated week of presentation

Submitted to Parliament

Statute adopted

Project status

Preliminary drafting

Regulatory drafting

Consultation procedure

Continued drafting

Government decision-making process

Consideration by Parliament

Bill approval

Suspended

Completed

Goals and results

Starting points

Effects and benefits

Situation description

Period for submitting comments 25.9.2025 – 31.10.2025

Documents

Persons

Talouttaan tasapainottaville hyvinvointialueille harkinnanvarainen määräajan jatkaminen alijäämien kattamiseen

Developing and statute drafting in the Government