Andorra Fast-Tracks €40M Bill for Housing Expansion and Hospital Upgrades

The Andorran government has fast-tracked a bill through the Consell General to allocate €40.15 million from the 2025 budget surplus of €88 million for public housing expansion and hospital improvements. The Sindicatura admitted the measure on Monday under extreme urgency rules, setting a vote for Thursday without amendments. This requires changes to the public finance sustainability law—the "golden rule"—to permit surplus use for "strategic investments of public or social utility," alongside debt reduction, reserves, or public entity stakes.

Of the total, €35 million targets housing, prioritizing a public tender for multi-family buildings or, secondarily, hotels needing minimal reforms for affordable rentals aimed at those at risk of residential exclusion due to personal, social, or psychosocial factors. Breakdowns include €21.6 million for acquisitions, €6.4 million for land to build social housing blocks, €6 million for construction or renovations, and €1 million for studies and projects. Funds remain flexible for reallocation based on needs. Ministers expect this to add 150-200 units to the existing 470 public rentals—currently under construction—reaching around 650 total. The tender could launch within two weeks of approval, favoring completed properties amid prior owner interest. The bill also amends the pension reserve fund law for direct sales to public entities, potentially including the former Santa Coloma clinic, and adjusts administrative codes for communal property deals. Housing Minister Conxita Marsol described it as the executive's top priority, citing €108 million invested over three years and seeking commune collaboration.

Healthcare receives €5.15 million, including €4.4 million for Servei Andorrà d’Atenció Sanitària (SAAS). Highlights are a €2 million surgical robot for high-precision procedures in surgery, urology, gynecology, colorectal surgery, and gynecological oncology—reducing foreign transfers, boosting efficiency, and drawing specialists—and a high-end MRI machine at €1.6-2.4 million total, covering equipment, €600,000-€800,000 in adaptations, and space upgrades. Another €750,000 upgrades the Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital heliport to international standards, fixing wear, leaks, and prior shortcomings. Health Minister Helena Mas noted €27 million invested in health since the legislature began, emphasizing modernization for diagnostic capacity and service excellence.

At Monday's press conference, Finance Minister Ramon Lladós, Marsol, and Mas presented the plan. Lladós credited fiscal discipline and economic performance, with €48 million still reducing debt at a moderated pace while lifting 2026 investments to €178 million—a 50% increase from 2025. The urgency reflects unpostponable demands in housing and health.