Minister: Quality of Life in Some Rural Municipalities Higher than in Lasnamäe
Siim Valmar Kiisler, Minister of Regional Affairs, said that regional support funds have helped rural areas catch up to cities in terms of quality of life.
“Although people value different aspects of life, I am convinced that life in Luunja or Ülenurme parishes is of a higher quality than in Lasnamäe, for example,” said Kiisler in Delfi. The first two are largely rural municipalities outside Tartiu; the last one is a concrete-laden 1970s suburb within Tallinn.
The remarks came in the context of the President's New Year's Eve address in which President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said that the quality of life should not depend on the distance from the capital.
“Critics should take a look at the numbers that the state reallocates from tax revenue. To break it down, tax is collected from Harju County [including Tallinn] and on a smaller scale from Tartu County, then transferred to the rest of Estonia – all on a great magnitude. Essentially tax from Harju and Tartu Counties pays for services rendered by other counties,” said Kiisler.