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Government briefing 23.3.
Government briefing on the situation in municipalities
At the Government briefing, Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero discussed the effects of the coronavirus situation on the municipal sector. Paatero emphasised in the briefing that assessing the economic impact of the state of emergency depends on the duration of the situation. The Ministry of Finance is actively monitoring the situation, and developments in the economic impact on municipalities are being assessed in cooperation with the municipalities.
The Government is preparing timely financial measures to support municipalities. The overall estimate is affected by, for instance, the decrease in municipal revenue as expenditure increases.
“Municipalities now need to be at the forefront to prevent the detrimental impact of the coronavirus on people and the economy,” Minister Paatero said.
Minister of Education Li Andersson also attended the briefing and answered questions concerning early childhood education and care and the arrangement of education for grades 1–3. Permanent Secretary Pekka Timonen from the Ministry of Justice answered questions on the possibility of introducing restrictions on movement.