Reform to ask Kaljulaid not to proclaim government’s tax changes
The opposition Reform Party will ask the president not to proclaim the new government’s tax changes, the second reading of which the Riigikogu finished on Thursday after a marathon sitting that lasted all night thanks to continued filibustering on the part of the opposition.
Chairman of Reform’s parliamentary group, Kristen Michal, said on Thursday that they would continue to oppose the government’s tax plans.
“While we support raising the basic exemption, the scrapping of joint tax returns [of spouses] is not acceptable to us because with it, families will be losing money. We gave Prime Minister Jüri Ratas a whole night to withdraw said amendments,” Michal said in a press release after the Riigikogu’s all-night sitting had ended.
The Reform Party used more than 157 proposed changes, almost all of which small technical adjustments, and the fact that they could demand a ten-minute break before voting on every single one of them, to filibuster the government’s tax package in its second reading.
Michal said that since the amendments had not been withdrawn, his party would turn to the president with the request that she not to proclaim the law. “We are waiting for an assessment by the president of the procedure of handling of the bill in the Riigikogu, and its conformity with the law. In our opinion, the law should not be proclaimed,” Michal said.
“Six months must be granted between the adoption of tax changes and their taking effect. By raising the social tax already from Jan. 1, this rule is violated. By adopting the law, the principle of justified expectation set out in the Constitution, and the six months rule set out in the Taxation Act are violated,” he added.
Michal also pointed out that Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise had been critical of the manner in which the tax amendments bill is being handled in the Riigikogu.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: BNS