Ministry of Finance

This compilation contains a selection of acts and ordinances – both new and amended – that enter into force in mid-2021.

The Swedish economy is recovering rapidly after the deep downturn last year. The Ministry of Finance’s latest forecast calls for GDP to grow by 4.7 per cent this year, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than in the forecast presented in connection with the Spring Budget in April. Public finances are also expected to be stronger than in the previous forecast.

In July 2020, EU heads of state and government agreed on a recovery package to mitigate the effects of the crisis. The package, called NextGenerationEU, comprises EUR 750 billion (2018 prices) in loans and grants to Member States. The main part of this will be channelled through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). On 28 May 2021, Sweden submitted its recovery plan to the EU.

How many people work at the Government Offices? What was the central government budget like last year? How many acts and ordinances were issued last year? The answer to these and other questions can be found in the Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2020.

The Stability and Growth Pact is a set of rules for coordinating fiscal policy between EU Member States. The purpose of these rules is to ensure sound public finances. Every April, Member States are to submit stability and convergence programmes. Sweden and other Member States that have not adopted the euro submit convergence programmes, whereas Member States that have adopted the euro submit stability programmes. The programmes are used by the Commission and the Council in their assessment of Member States’ fiscal policies and situations.

Today the Government presents the guidelines for economic policy and the Spring Amending Budget with further measures to limit the spread of the virus and alleviate the consequences of the pandemic for the economy and also to work Sweden out of the crisis. The proposals presented in connection with the Spring Fiscal Policy Bill total almost SEK 45 billion. The proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Resilience in the Swedish economy is strong and the recovery will gather strength in the second half of 2021. As activity increases, the labour market will also gain strength. Despite this, the situation remains serious, especially for those whose position in the labour market is weak. This is clear from the Ministry of Finance’s most recent forecast, presented today by Minister for Finance Magdalena Andersson.

As Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) highest advisory body, Ms Anderson will lead meetings and negotiations on the IMF’s upcoming work. She will also take part in the G20 meeting.