Federal Budget 2019: SPD and Union spend 350 million euros more for development aid

The government factions in the Bundestag are still trying to reduce the rate of development and emergency aid in the federal budget. Now it is becoming apparent that funding for the 2019 negotiations will not be provided for until now.

For emergency and development aid was already a plus of 350 million euros compared to the budget plan of the Federal Government for 2019 provided. According to SPIEGEL information is now planned to add another 350 million euros. This would add up to a total of 700 million euros compared to the original planning of the government.

Sonja Steffen, responsible spokeswoman for the SPD in the Budget Committee, told the SPIEGEL that the increase goes back to an initiative of its group leader Andreas Nahles. These are funds for helping the poorest countries in the world and for fighting the causes of flight.

ODA quota "secured"?

Steffen was confident that it would be able to secure the Official Development Assistance (ODA) ratio, ie the share of emergency aid and development expenditure in terms of gross national income, at the "current level of 0.51 percent".

However, despite this substantial increase in funds, Germany is lagging behind the long-term goal also set in the coalition agreement of achieving an ODA ratio of 0.7 percent. It is also stipulated that the ratio should in no case fall. So far, however, this has not been reflected in the budget: So far, the 2019 quota would have fallen from 0.5 percent to 0.47. The correction thus helps in the first place not to violate the coalition agreement.

Spending on emergency and development aid is also linked to defense spending. It is also likely to increase spending on the defense sector.

As the news agency Reuters reported, Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz should be prepared to increase the budget for the federal ministries for defense, transport and development aid. So it is in a submission of the Ministry of the Budget Committee, quoted by Reuters.

The final decision will be made on the adjustments to the budget for the coming year in the budget settlement meeting on Thursday. Hard negotiations are expected, the appointment could last until late into the night.