The investment in human capital, the strengthening of Local Self-Government and the support of key sectors of the ministry are the three reform axes on which the 2024 state budget is reflected, he emphasized in the Parliamentthe Minister of the Interior, Niki Kerameos, during his debate in the Plenary.

“The budget of the Ministry of the Interior is increased, for 2024, by 157 million euros, approximately 4.42%“, Mrs. Kerameos noted, adding that “elements of the new budget are reflected in three reform axes:

Axis one, according to Mrs. Kerameos, is “the investment in human capital with transparency, meritocracy and accountability”.

“It was also our commitment that the employees’ salaries follow this escalating path. Fourteen years later, with the decision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the reform of the public sector payroll is a fact. After 14 years the first increase in salaries of civil servants. We thus strengthen the incomes of civil servants horizontally, give additional increases to workers with children and workers who serve in positions of responsibility. This is a total footprint of 956 million euros. For the first time, the stimulation of the real disposable income of the citizens it promotes is achieved.

In addition, according to the recruitment planning approved by the cabinet, in 2024 16,521 new recruitments are foreseen in the public sector, with particular emphasis on the health sector which has the lion’s share with 6,500 positions, in the climate crisis sector and meeting needs that arising from Recovery Fund milestones“, pointed out the Minister of the Interior.

The second axis, as he said, is the strengthening of Local Self-Government.

“In 2024, the transfers of central autonomous resources to local authorities will increase by 69 million euros from 2023. For municipalities, a special grant of 161 million is foreseen, which will also cover the cost of municipal police salaries. For the first time after 10 years, the positions of more than 1,200 employees in the municipal police are announced at the beginning of January“, he pointed out.

A third axis, he said, concerns other key areas of the Ministry of the Interior: Macedonia-Thrace, Citizenship, pets, innovation.

“For 2024, appropriations exceeding 13 million have been earmarked specifically for the needs of the General Secretariat of Citizenship“, write down.

Mrs. Kerameos emphasized “initiatives for the strengthening of democracy and above all the removal of all legal and practical restrictions on the exercise of the right to vote of Greek citizens”.

“For the first time, with the establishment of postal voting, all real, practical obstacles to participation in the electoral process are removed for all those who have the right to vote, wherever they live, wherever they are on the day of the European elections, in Greece or abroad. The introduction of postal voting meets the demands of society as well as the demands of many political parties. It is an essential move to strengthen participation in the electoral process, it deepens democracy“, the minister underlined and concluded:

“The 2024 budget once again disproves the doomsayers of the opposition, who in recent years have been predicting woes for our country. It finds our economy on the rise, with growth rates that allow us to support even more, workers, pensioners, young people, civil servants, that allow us to return to society as a whole the positive result of its sacrifices. Its upvoting is another step that strengthens the progress of the country and the well-being of our citizens».