Lowering central government transfers to municipalities
Act amending sections 21 and 47 of the Act on Central Government Transfers to Municipalities for Basic Public Services
The central government transfer percentage for basic municipal services will be lowered from the start of 2024. At the same time, the rules for correcting calculation errors in central government transfer decisions will be specified.
- Status
- Rejected
- Submitted
- 9 Oct 2023
- Latest event
- 14 Dec 2023
- Votes
- 7
- Speeches
- 21
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The central government transfer percentage for basic municipal services will decrease from 22.09 per cent to 21.92 per cent for 2024, and the municipal self-financing share will rise to 78.08 per cent. In addition, the procedural provisions on correcting errors will be clarified in relation to the Administrative Procedure Act.
What it means
The change will apply to all municipalities in mainland Finland and will reduce central government transfers for basic services by a net amount of approximately 15 million euros for 2024. The total takes into account the cut to the index increase under the government programme (-24 million euros) as well as new and expanding education duties assigned to municipalities (approximately +9 million euros). The act will enter into force on 1 January 2024.
How Parliament voted
Parliament rejected the bill. The votes held during consideration are listed below.
21 § , mietintö / Eemeli Peltonen
Yes won by 120–56.
The Centre voted with the government. 23 MPs were absent. Minutes ↗
Filled dot = yes, ring = no, grey = absent. Point at a dot to see the MP. Seats follow the current seating plan (updated 19 Sep 2026). 15 MPs who voted are not in the current seating plan.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
21 speeches · 2 debates
Key points of the debate
The debate focused on cuts to central government transfers for basic municipal services, cuts to index increases, and the municipal financial deficit caused by transitional calculations for the health and social services reform. A government party emphasised the necessity of balancing central government finances and additional funding for basic education, while the opposition considered the cuts unsustainable and a risk to education. The proposal was controversial and clearly divided the views of the Government and the opposition.
- Do the index cuts to central government transfers jeopardise basic municipal services and education?
- Are the financing problems of municipal finances merely being deferred to 2025–2027?
- How quickly and on what principles should the system of central government transfers to municipalities be completely reformed?
- Finns PartyIn favour
The group considers it important to balance central government finances without taking on more debt and points out that the Government is investing separate additional funding in comprehensive schools.
”Toki tästä indeksiarvosta olisi helppo olla samaa mieltä, että se pitäisi palauttaa tai ottaa pois ja rahat palauttaa kunnille, mutta tarkkaan pitää katsoa, mistä se raha sitten otetaan”
— Rami Lehtinen - Social DemocratsAgainst
The group opposes cutting the index increase for central government transfers because the cuts directly affect statutory municipal educational and cultural services and weaken municipal finances.
”Kuntien valtionosuuslaskelmien tarkistuksen yhteydessä olisikin nyt kohtuullista, että hallitusohjelmaan kirjatusta valtionosuuksien indeksikorotuksen yhden prosenttiyksikön leikkauksesta luovuttaisiin.”
— Eemeli Peltonen - Centre PartyAgainst
The group considers the current municipal financing system broken and warns that the reductions in central government transfers deferred to future years will plunge municipalities into unreasonable difficulties.
”Tämä rahoitusjärjestelmä on nyt rikki valtionosuuksien osalta, myös kunnallisverotuksen osalta, ja siihen pitää ilman muuta tehdä muutoksia.”
— Petri Honkonen - GreensAgainst
The group considers cutting central government transfers by hundreds of millions of euros unsustainable in a situation where the skill levels of children and young people need to be strengthened.
”Hallituksen päätös leikata satoja miljoonia kuntien valtionosuuksista on siis hyvin kestämätön, jos kannetaan huolta Pisa-tuloksista”
— Inka Hopsu - Left AllianceAgainst
The group opposes the index cut and considers the reduction in central government transfers to be an effective cut to education that weakens municipalities' ability to cope with their basic duties.
”Nyt kuntien toimintakyvylle olisi välttämätöntä, että valtionosuuksista ei sentään leikata.”
— Laura Meriluoto
This digest was generated by AI from 21 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Keskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 9 Oct 2023Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Valtiovarainministeriö
- 10 Oct 2023Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 30 Nov 2023Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · hallintovaliokunta
- 8 Dec 2023Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 12 Dec 2023Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 13 Dec 2023Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki kunnan peruspalvelujen valtionosuudesta annetun lain 21 ja 47 §:n muuttamisestaHylätty
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki kunnan peruspalvelujen valtionosuudesta annetun lain 21 ja 47 §:n muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti muutetaan kunnan peruspalvelujen valtionosuudesta annetun lain (618/2021) 21 §:n 1 momentti ja 47 §, sellaisena kuin niistä on 21 §:n 1 momentti laissa 1183/2022, seuraavasti:
21 §Valtionosuusprosentti ja kunnan omarahoitusosuus
Kunnan 6—12 §:ssä tarkoitetut laskennalliset kustannukset jakautuvat siten, että kuntien valtionosuus on 21,92 prosenttia (valtionosuusprosentti ) ja kuntien omarahoitusosuus on 78,08 prosenttia.
47 §Laskuvirheen korjaaminen
Poiketen siitä, mitä hallintolain (434/2003) 50 ja 51 §:ssä säädetään virheen korjaamisen edellytyksistä, valtiovarainministeriö voi itse tai hakemuksen perusteella korjata tässä laissa tarkoitetuissa päätöksissä ja päätösten perusteena olevissa tiedoissa olevan laskuvirheen. Muilta osin laskuvirheen korjaamiseen sovelletaan, mitä hallintolain 8 luvussa säädetään.
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 2 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.