Northern Executive to unveil first budget today

The North's power-sharing executive's first budget later today will have job creation as its top priority.

The executive has no tax-raising powers so it is limited to sharing out an overall budget set by London.

The North's economy is top-heavy with spending and employment in the public sector.

Unsurprisingly, the executive wants to change that as quickly as possible by cutting public jobs and setting efficiency targets.

The executive is also expected to unveil plans for streamlining the planning process.

Its 10-year investment programme has plans to spend £18bn (€25.8bn) on, for example, two LUAS-style lines in Belfast, school modernisation and completion of the city's sewerage project.

Private developers will be given a central role in building social housing and tourism numbers will be expected to increase by a quarter.