(Finance) – The finances of local authorities in 2021 they were affected by the dragging of effects of the pandemic, albeit with some improvement in public finance results, while state interventions to compensate for the loss of revenue and to support emergency spending continue. This is what emerges from the Report on the financial management of Municipalities, Provinces and Metropolitan Cities approved by the Court of Auditorsin which the accounting judiciary examined i reports of 7,100 Administrations (7.009 Municipalities, 77 Provinces, 14 Metropolitan Cities).
THE cash data 2021 highlight a estate of municipalitiesdespite the amounts still differing from the ordinary, by virtue of the loans disbursed with the emergency legislation, the effects of the extension of the payment of taxes and the suspension, as of August 31, 2021, of the compulsory collection.
Stay the share of state transfers is high in the context of current revenues, while the restart of collections resulted in a improvement of tax revenues, contributory and of an equalizing nature. The positive cash balance – underlines the Court – confirms the impetus for recovery, but an excess of resources persists assigned with the state compensation, compared to those actually used. On the payment side, the settlement times for invoices for trade payables are reduced.
THE financial statements 2020 they bring out overall balances improving, thanks to the extraordinary support measures, aimed at preventing the tensions feared as a result of the health crisis. It is widely the result was positive of administration of Common (45.57 billion euros), but, net of provisions, restrictions and the part destined for investments, a deficit of approximately 4.2 billion is determined.
For provinces and metropolitan citieswhich they record anyway positive results (respectively 380.5 and 433.3 million euros), the Court found a structural decline in own revenue, potentially critical to the disappearance of the effects of the extraordinary allocations provided by the state. Capital expenditure shows an expansionary dynamic thanks to state financing aimed at investments and the lower pressure exerted by public finance constraints, reshaped from 2019. The increase recorded in spending commitments, in fact, stands at 1.9% for the Municipalities and 8.7% for the Provinces. The one referred to the multi-year restricted fund is even more sustained (11.8% for the Municipalities, 17% for the Provinces and 11.1% for the Metropolitan Cities).
The return to an ordinary context – concludes the accounting judiciary – could highlight further critical issues currently “anesthetized” by emergency interventions, as well as expanding the number of municipalities in rebalancing and failing.