Government appoints ministerial working groups for Government Programme’s strategic objectives as well as ministers responsible for key projects

On Tuesday, 23 June, the Government appointed ministerial working groups for the Government Programme’s strategic objectives and for the reform package. In addition, the ministers responsible for a total of 27 key projects were appointed for each objective.

The Government Programme’s five strategic objectives are strengthening employment and competitiveness, reforming knowledge and education, promoting wellbeing and health, accelerating the bioeconomy and clean solutions, and renewing operating practices through use of digitalisation, experimentation and deregulation. Reforms include the social welfare and health care reform, reducing municipalities’ duties, and regional administration reform.

The Government will steer and monitor the implementation of the Government Programme, led by the Prime Minister in its strategy sessions, which will be held at two-week intervals. In its strategy sessions, the Government will discuss the progress of its strategic objectives, based on the preparation of the responsible ministers and the ministerial working groups.

The Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy, led by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, will be responsible for the employment and competitiveness objective. The chair of the ministerial working group on knowledge and education is Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen and the chair of the ministerial working group on wellbeing and health is Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Mäntylä.   

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Kimmo Tiilikainen and Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn will jointly chair of the ministerial working group on bioeconomy and clean solutions. The ministerial working group on the reform of operating practices will discuss issues under the digitalisation, experimentation and deregulation objective, and it will be led by Minister of Local Government and Public Reforms Anu Vehviläinen and Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner.

Of the reforms, the social welfare and health care reform will be led by Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Juha Rehula. Minister Vehviläinen will lead the implementation of the objective relating to reducing municipalities duties and reforming regional and central administration. Minister of the Interior Petteri Orpo will serve as chair of the ministerial working group on internal security and administration of justice.

There are nearly half as few ministerial working groups in this government term as in the previous term. The Government may appoint temporary ministerial working groups as necessary.

Preparation of the Government Action Plan is progressing

Commensurate action plans with concrete progress schedules will be made for the Government Programme’s strategic objectives and key projects. Monitoring tools and social effectiveness indicators will be created for the Government Programme. The Government’s next strategy session is on Monday, 29 June, and there will also be sessions on 10, 20 and 31 August.   

The Government Action Plan will flesh out the Government Programme and it will be harmonised with the preparation of the General Government Fiscal Plan.

The Government Action Plan will be decided in connection with the budget session together with the General Government Fiscal Plan and the Government Budget Proposal. The budget session is scheduled to take place on 9 and 10 September.

Inquiries: Riina Nevamäki, Prime Minister’s Special Adviser in Political Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2009, Prime Minister’s Office

Attachment: Leadership responsibilities for the Government Programme’s strategic objectives and key projects

English translation of the press release published on 24 June 2015