Maurer criticised parliament for some of the across-the-board spending cuts
Keystone
Parliament has approved a budget for next year that includes a CHF250 million ($247 million) deficit with major spending cuts for asylum and the federal administration.
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ug/swissinfo.ch with agencies
Following nearly three weeks of debate, the House of Representative on Thursday had the upper hand over the Senate, imposing a CHF128 million budget reduction for the regular personnel, external advisors and for information technology.
Finance Minister Maurer said the decision meant that 370 jobs will be shed at short notice.
The bulk of the cuts have to be borne by the State Secretariat for Migration, which allocates welfare payments to asylum seekers and refugees.
Supporters from the right and the centrist parties argued given a substantial drop in the number of expected asylum seekers this year it made sense to reduce the asylum budget.
Spared
The agriculture sector with an additional CHF90 million, as well as universities and other institutes of higher education – plus CHF74 million – were spared from budget cuts proposed by the cabinet.
The Swiss Review magazine for the Swiss abroad community also benefited from slightly more generous parliament.
The 2017 budget foresees revenue of CHF68.42 billion against spending of CHF68.67 billion, in line with Switzerland’s fiscal debt break rule aimed at a structurally balanced budget.
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