NordenBladet —
The State Budget for 2024 Bill (304 SE), initiated by the Government and declared to be a matter of confidence in the Government before the second reading, sets out the revenue of the next year’s state budget as EUR 16.8 billion and the expenditure as EUR 17.7 billion. Compared to this year, the revenue will grow by 7.7 per cent and the expenditure by 4.9 per cent.
Next year, a total of EUR 1.9 billion will be directed into the economy as investments and investment subsidies, EUR 1.1 billion of which will come from EU subsidies and EUR 0.82 billion from the state budget. The structural deficit in the state budget will remain at 1.2 per cent, and the nominal deficit will be 2.9 per cent of the GDP.
The priorities of the next year’s state budget are military and comprehensive national defence of Estonia, economic growth along with green reforms and sustainable public finances, education, increased cyber security capability, and supporting Ukraine.
According to the Bill, in 2024, Estonia’s defence budget will exceed three per cent of the GDP for the first time, amounting to 3.2 per cent of the GDP, and the state will contribute over EUR 1.3 billion to national defence. The draft state budget also retains the agreement to allocate one per cent of the GDP to research funding. EUR 71.9 million has been planned for the transition to Estonian-language education, and nearly 24 million for teachers’ pay rise. An additional EUR 23 million would be invested next year to ensure the soundness of the basic national IT infrastructure and cyber security.
The Bill initiated by the Government had passed the first reading in the Riigikogu on 18 October and 745 motions to amend it had been submitted by the deadline. On 23 November, the Government had decided to declare the passing of the Bill a matter of confidence in the Government before the second reading and had thereby also taken over the duties of the lead committee. Motions to amend a Bill that has been declared to be a matter of confidence in the Government are not put to a vote.
During the debate, which had already started at the Wednesday sitting, Riina Solman, Aivar Kokk, Priit Sibul, Tõnis Lukas, and Andres Metsoja (Isamaa Parliamentary group), Arvo Aller, Rain Epler, Henn Põlluaas, Siim Pohlak, Rene Kokk, Kert Kingo, Anti Poolamets, Helle-Moonika Helme, Jaak Valge, and Varro Vooglaid (Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group), and Tanel Kiik, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, and Aleksei Jevgrafov (Centre Party Parliamentary Group) took the floor. Non-attached members Tõnis Mölder, Kalle Grünthal, and Jaanus Karilaid also took the floor.
The debate will continue at the additional sitting of the Riigikogu, which starts at 11 a.m. on Friday. After the end of the debate, the Bill will be put to a final vote.
Deliberation of 22 Bills was deferred
Due to the end of the working hours, the second reading of nine drafts and the first reading of 13 drafts was deferred from the agenda of Thursday’s sitting.
The second reading of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the International Military Operation Inherent Resolve” (310 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Post-Conflict Peacekeeping Operation in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Syria” (311 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mission in Iraq” (312 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the UN Peacekeeping Operation in Lebanon” (313 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Composition of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Readiness Units” (314 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Composition of the United Kingdom’s Joint Expeditionary Force” (315 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the European Union Training Mission in Mozambique” (316 OE), the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in International Military Operations Led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or its Member State, or the European Union, and in other International Military Operations Led by the United Nations, upon the First Contribution thereto” (317 OE) and the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the European Union Military Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI” (318 OE), submitted by the Government, was deferred.
The first reading of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “The Grating of a State Guarantee to the European Investment Bank to Support the Reconstruction of Ukraine” (336 OE), submitted by the Government, the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of a Member of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Estonia Who Is a Specialist in the Field” (348 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Building Code and Other Acts (acceleration of the deployment of renewable energy) (308 SE), initiated by the Government, the Bill on Amendments to the Imprisonment Act, the Penal Code, the Probation Supervision Act and the Code of Enforcement Procedure (updating of the Imprisonment Act and the deployment of digital solutions) (227 SE), initiated by the Government, the Bill on the Ratification of the Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (226 SE), initiated by the Government, the Bill on Amendments to the Information Society Services Act and the Penal Code (224 SE), initiated by the Government, was also deferred.
Also deferred was the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code (76 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Varro Vooglaid, the Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (243 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Mart Maastik, the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu committee of investigation to investigate the facts relating to the influencing of elections by the Liberal Citizen Foundation” (251 OE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code (85 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Anti Poolamets, Helle-Moonika Helme, and Varro Vooglaid, the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (80 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Evelin Poolamets, Arvo Aller, and Martin Helme, the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (84 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas and Anti Poolamets, and the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (83 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Kert Kingo and Rene Kokk.
Motions to change the working hours of the sitting were not supported
Around 10.30, the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group moved to shorten the Thursday sitting and conclude it at 11.15 a.m., but the motion was not supported by the plenary assembly. 28 members of the Riigikogu supported shortening the sitting and 53 were against it.
Around 11.40 a.m., the Isamaa Parliamentary Group and the Reform Party Parliamentary Group moved to extend the Thursday sitting until 2 p.m., but this motion also failed to garner the support of the Riigikogu. 54 members of the Riigikogu supported extending the working time and 31 voted against it. It would have required a two thirds majority vote to change the working schedule of the Riigikogu.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu continued the second reading of the Bill on next year’s state budget
Source: Parliament of Estonia