CPF: flat-rate employee participation will be “implemented” in 2024

Europe 1 with AFP 12:23 p.m., February 19, 2024

The Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts, Thomas Cazenave, announced on Monday the implementation from 2024 of a flat-rate contribution for employees to the personal training account (CPF), as part of the 10 billion additional savings planned for this year. “This flat-rate contribution will be implemented this year, which will allow us to generate 200 million euros in savings out of a total of 2 billion,” he declared to the press, referring to a measure that was “just " and "necessary" in a difficult context for public finances. A decree to this effect is planned for April, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance was told.

The “price to pay for victory against inflation”

The government has revised downwards, from 1.4% to 1%, its growth forecast for 2024 and unveiled 10 billion additional savings to meet its ambition of reducing the public deficit to 4.4% of GDP this year. Intervening in a geopolitical context and a virtual stagnation of the European economy, this new blow comes in addition to the 16 billion savings already included in the budget for 2024, consisting mainly of the removal of the tariff shield in the energy.

“The economic slowdown is the price to pay for victory against inflation,” said the Minister of the Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, referring to the high interest rates decided by the European Central Bank. (ECB) to combat overheating prices. Faced with tax revenues lower than expected, "we asked the State to tighten its belt. And we chose not to touch the social security budget or not to touch the community budget local," he continued.

Review of certain public policies

Half of the savings, or five billion euros, will have to be found in the operating budget of the ministries. For example, 700 million euros in savings will come from lower personnel costs, notably the delay in recruitment, and 750 million from a reduction in State purchases, detailed his colleague Thomas Cazenave. The rest of the savings will rely in particular on a reduction of 800 million euros in public development assistance or the limitation of the Green Fund to 100 million euros.

Thomas Cazenave also cited the review of certain public policies. In addition to the CPF and a reduction of one billion in the MaPrimeRénov' energy renovation aid envelope, he mentioned the revision of the support amounts for apprenticeship contracts (200 million). The decree to cancel these 10 billion euros of credit must be taken this week. Another decree must specify the modalities for the CPF in April.