Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship:

Next year, the local government will have PLN 1.26 billion at its disposal. The largest expenditures in the budget will go, among other things, to transport, support for regional development, culture, education and healthcare.

“The regional economy has been strongly affected by the crisis caused by the epidemic. As a local government, we have invested a great deal of effort, as well as substantial sums of money, both in supporting healthcare and Lower Silesian entrepreneurs. We are facing a year in which, as before, we plan to invest heavily in regional development. By maintaining strong growth momentum, we want to get the Lower Silesian economy moving again,” explains Marshal Cezary Przybylski.

“We are planning a budget deficit of PLN 45.2 million, while securing PLN 83 million from the Voivodeship budget for own contributions to projects co-financed with European funds. This demonstrates the strongly development-oriented, that is, investment-focused, nature of the budget,” adds Elżbieta Berezowska, Treasurer of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

Next year, Lower Silesia plans total expenditure PLN 39 million higher than in the 2020 budget resolution. The Office says: “Capital expenditure, that is, investment spending, will also increase by PLN 38 million, and for the next year in a row our region will not pay the so-called Janosik tax into the state budget.”

UMWD:

The voivodeship’s revenues will also decrease by PLN 35 million. This is due, among other things, to the crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic. A large part of the region’s budget normally comes from CIT revenues. Because of the pandemic, these will be more than PLN 25 million lower next year. However, compared with this year, revenue from the general subsidy—that is, support for Lower Silesia from the state budget—will increase. The region will receive over PLN 37 million more under this heading than this year. The largest increases in expenditure next year, compared with the 2020 budget resolution, will occur in transport and healthcare.

Transport

The voivodeship authorities want to allocate over PLN 723 million to road and railway projects. That is nearly PLN 52 million more than in 2020. The reconstruction and repair of roads and bridges will cost approximately PLN 378 million, while over PLN 153.4 million has been reserved to subsidize and organize regional passenger rail services. Local-government officials say: “The rail offer in our region will continue to be developed. This will be possible thanks to the regional carrier’s rolling-stock purchases and the takeover of further inactive railway lines from PKP SA.”

“Despite the ongoing pandemic, we do not intend to neglect Lower Silesia’s development. That is why next year we will continue, among other things, the process of taking over railway lines—one of our priority tasks. The year 2021 will be devoted to securing funds for the revitalization of the remaining lines; we have submitted individual projects to the Government Local Investment Fund and the National Recovery Plan. Next year will also bring the preparation of feasibility studies for five Lower Silesian investments that have already advanced to the second stage of the Kolej Plus programme. We also face extensive work on documentation for projects we would like to implement under the new EU financial perspective through 2027. Among other things, we intend to begin work on a feasibility study for the Copper Basin Agglomeration Railway,” says Tymoteusz Myrda, Member of the Board of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. “As you can see, we have a great deal to do in infrastructure alone. We are fighting the crisis, but also preparing for what comes after it ends.”

Healthcare

More than PLN 71.1 million will be allocated to healthcare in 2021. These funds are intended for hospitals and units whose founding authority is the Lower Silesian regional government. Over PLN 53 million will go to the medical activities of healthcare institutions. Other significant measures include the merger of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Occupational Medicine Centre and the Railway Medical Care District—PLN 4.63 million—and the purchase of a neuronavigation system for the Lower Silesian Hospital Centre of the Jelenia Góra Valley—PLN 1.8 million. PLN 3.6 million has been allocated to preventive healthcare.

“In next year’s budget, we have secured funds for the stable operation of healthcare, which is fighting the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, a significant part of the regional government’s activities focused on combating COVID-19. Despite the difficult situation we faced, we did not neglect issues related to other diseases. Next year, we intend to continue key programmes for Lower Silesia’s residents, and we want to expand and develop them. These include, for example, colorectal cancer prevention, perinatological care—that is, transfontanelle and cardiac ultrasound examinations for infants—as well as addressing addiction-related problems,” explains Deputy Marshal Marcin Krzyżanowski.

Education, science and social affairs

Nearly PLN 147.6 million has been earmarked for education, science and social integration. UMWD says: “In pursuing the objectives set out in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Development Strategy 2030, such as improving the effectiveness of education and developing and modernizing regional public infrastructure, in the field of Education and Science the Lower Silesian Voivodeship local government finances the activities of 18 educational units, which in the 2020/2021 school year will provide education and care for 3,015 students, pupils and residents. In 2021, PLN 64.979 million will be allocated for this purpose.”

Other key measures include:

  • The Good Start Project—addressed to Youth Sociotherapy Centres and Youth Educational Centres—PLN 5.1 million
  • Support for vocational education—PLN 3.4 million
  • Lower Silesian Scholarship Assistance Programme for students in vocational subjects—PLN 3.3 million
  • Scholarship programme for medical staff—scholarships for nursing and midwifery students—PLN 200,000.

Nearly PLN 4 million has been allocated to support people with disabilities, including almost PLN 950,000 for the activities of vocational activity establishments, while PLN 2.8 million will fund personal assistance services, respite care and Temporary Stay Centres.

Sport and tourism

Approximately PLN 21.8 million will be allocated to sport. The two largest investments are the Lower Silesian Sports Centre, already under construction at Polana Jakuszycka, and the construction of an athletics hall in Wrocław. The hall will be built in cooperation with the Ministry of Sport and the Wrocław local government.

“It was a difficult year for both tourism and sport. The pandemic meant that not all planned sporting events took place, and athletes’ training cycles were disrupted. Nevertheless, as planned, we allocated funds for staff training, sports scholarships, academies and development programmes,” says Paweł Wybierała, Member of the Voivodeship Board.

Existing support programmes will continue next year, including Improvement of the Sports Base and Lower Silesian Little Dolphin. In addition, an entirely new programme, “Sport—I Like It!”, will launch. Its aim is to foster the need for regular physical activity among children and young people and to popularize and develop mass and recreational sport. Support for the development of sports infrastructure will also continue: PLN 9 million from the 2021 budget will enable construction of the aforementioned Athletics Hall in Wrocław.

Culture

Regional spending on culture will exceed PLN 92.3 million. Most of this amount—PLN 86.4 million—will be allocated to 17 cultural institutions for which the Voivodeship is the organizer or co-organizer. In addition, nearly PLN 3 million will constitute the own contribution to the renovation of the Racławice Panorama, while another PLN 900,000 will be contributed to renovations of the stage at the Polish Theatre in Wrocław and the Dramatic Theatre in Wałbrzych.

Regional Development

More than PLN 94 million has been earmarked to support regional development. The key tasks include supporting economic development and entrepreneurship, as well as managing regional development. This includes preparing the necessary analyses on the basis of which financial support for Lower Silesia will be programmed under the European Union’s future financial perspective.

“Despite all the difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget planned for 2021 is ambitious. This is because the Lower Silesian Voivodeship is one of the fastest-growing regions in this part of Europe, and as the voivodeship board we will do everything to keep it that way,” says Deputy Marshal Grzegorz Macko.

Agriculture and environmental protection

A total of PLN 53.3 million will be allocated for this purpose. The protection, reclamation and improvement of agricultural land will absorb PLN 30 million. Subsidies for the routine maintenance of water-management systems operated by local-government units will amount to PLN 1.5 million. The same amount has been allocated to the renewal of Lower Silesian villages.