The province of Gelderland ends the year 2023 on a positive note. Bottom line, the province will have 9.8 million euros left over. This surplus is partly caused by tightness in the labor market.
Underspending
The difference between the most recently adopted budget and the annual accounts for expenses and income amounts to more than 81 million euros on balance: less was spent than budgeted and more was received than budgeted. “We collectively call this underspending,” the province said. The account result after allocation amounts to 9.8 million.
Travel less
For example, according to the annual accounts, Gelderland spent 5.3 million euros less than budgeted due to, among other things, tightness on the labor market and hybrid working. The effects of hybrid working led to lower travel expenses. And due to the tightness on the labor market, it has proven difficult to fill vacancies in a timely manner.
Delay
The province had 297 vacancies last year. These have all been completed – a third of which have been completed externally. “Although it has always been possible to fill the vacancies, this has often taken a longer time, especially for these specialist vacancies,” the province said. As a result, there have been delays in the progress and continuity of the work in a number of places in the organization.
Reserves
The difficulty in finding high-quality personnel meant that not all plans could be implemented or plans were completed later. Money for projects and subsidies, which have been delayed, have been postponed to this year. These amounts fall under the so-called reserves. That amount grew by no less than 27 million euros. In addition to these setbacks, Gelderland also had windfalls in the form of higher income from interest and more surcharges on motor vehicle tax (+ 1 million euros).
Tags: Gelderland underspending due labor shortages
