We are committed to upholding Helsinki’s sustainability principle, which calls for controlled increases in operating expenditure, moderate investment and the application of the principle of state funding for our social, health and rescue services.
Helsinki must respond to the needs of its growing population and cost increases when financing its services. In a resolute effort to increase the city’s productivity, we are also introducing targeted productivity measures. Helsinki is drawing up a citywide productivity plan, in addition to separate productivity plans for each of the city’s divisions and its central administration.
We are committed to maintaining industrial peace in our organisation during the council term. We will not pursue the incorporation of municipal enterprises, changes to the city’s management system or new outsourcing of health station services. Whether the current outsourcing of health station services will continue will be evaluated separately, based on the results.
The total increase in the city’s operating expenditure is measured in accordance with population growth, the general cost increase as measured by the price index for basic services, and the annual productivity improvement requirement. The annual productivity improvement requirement at the citywide level has been set at one per cent. This applies to all of Municipal Helsinki, with the exception of core services in the Education Division and the Culture and Leisure Division. Core services include all the services in the divisions, with the exception of shared services.
Helsinki will gauge its investment level to correspond to the city’s growth, vitality and service need development, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the city's finances and a moderate level of long-term debt and liabilities. We will steer the 2026–2035 investment package for the duration of the strategy period. We will curb increases to the city’s tax-financed liabilities (city debt, tax-financed corporate investments and rental liabilities for business premises) from present levels. The increases must be tamed in such a way that the per-resident share of the total liability will stop rising within the planning horizon. We will divide our investments into phases towards this goal and prioritise them more strongly than we do at present.
We will separate investments in the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division from the rest of the city’s investments. Liabilities arising from investments in social, health and rescue services must be able to be covered by state funding. We will prepare and make the necessary decisions regarding the premises used by the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division, so that the organisation related to the premises meets risk management requirements.
The principle of state financing is applied for the provision of social, health and rescue services. The services are financed with state funding allocated to Helsinki, in addition to the division’s own income. With our Change programme for the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division, Helsinki safeguards the quality and continuity of services, regardless of annual fluctuations in funding increases. Helsinki will strengthen its role as an organiser and make effective use of multiple service providers. We will resolutely work to secure a reasonable and fair level of state funding.
To ensure that the tax burden on its residents will remain reasonable, Helsinki will not increase its municipal tax and property tax rates.
We will pursue an active and inventive business and innovation policy that facilitates an increase in Helsinki’s revenue base and safeguards our investment capacity. As part of our business policy measures, we are taking proactive steps to increase the city’s corporate tax revenue.
We will comply with our global responsibility to operate in good faith by promoting practices that facilitate ethical public procurement.