Spain announces 10 bln euros cuts in health, education

The Spanish government on Monday announced that it is planning a 10-billion-euro (13 billion U.S. dollars) spending cuts in the country's health and education services.

The government confirmed its plans in a press release, in which it reiterated its goal of reducing public deficit to 3 percent of GDP in 2013.

The statement says that Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has met with the ministers of health and education (Ana Mato and Jose Ignacio Wert) and that "the expected savings will be over 10 billion euros."

Part of this money will be saved by rationalizing and eradicating the duplication of services between Spain's central government and the country's 17 Autonomous Communities, but it is hard to see how such a saving can be made by reducing at least some services.

On the same day, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos commented on radio station Cadena Ser that the government should open debate about the possibility of making people who earns over 100,000 euros (130,000 U.S dollars) pay for some of their healthcare.

Those words were quickly denied by the governing Popular Party, which said it was a personal reflection from de Guindos, and the party keeps its commitment to free health care for all.

The latest announcement comes in the wake of the publication of the 2012 austerity budget last month, which contains savings of 27 billion euros and spending cuts averaging 16.9 percent in the government ministries.

(VietNamNet/Xinhuanet)

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