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Schwerin (dpa / mv) - The state audit office of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania expects significant funding gaps for the municipalities as a result of the corona pandemic, which could not be compensated by the state in the long term.

In the current municipal financial report, the President of the Court of Auditors Martina Johannsen therefore appeals to both sides to consistently identify and use consolidation potential.

The country itself was threatened with significant losses due to lower tax revenues.

"It is therefore questionable whether it can continue to bear its comparatively high payments to the municipalities without neglecting other areas," writes Johannsen in the foreword of the report.

For years, your authority has criticized the amount of state allocations to the municipalities and also takes a critical view of the billions in loans to cope with the current corona pandemic.

This would also finance expenses "where the - legally required - relationship to the coronavirus crisis is not always given," complains Johannsen.

In her report, she points out that the municipalities achieved a surplus for the fifth time in a row in 2019.

At 135 million euros, this was slightly lower than in the previous year due to higher investments.

"The financial situation is not to be assessed as worse," emphasized the head of the authorities, but at the same time admitted that a number of municipalities in 2019 were in some cases significantly in the red.

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Johannsen was again critical of the previous implementation of the Online Access Act in rural districts, urban districts and large urban districts.

There is no central overview of which administrative services are to be implemented by the municipalities.

The timely implementation of the law is at risk.

Court of Auditors