Government urging MPs to work fast regarding supplementary budget
The debate on the government's first package of measures to support the economy during the emergency situation is expected to be finalized in April with the Prime Minister appealing for urgency.
According to Prime Minister Jüri Ratas the package will be brought into the Riigikogu on April 6 which leaves MPs a week for consulting and considering the proposals. He appeals to the MPs to manage three readings from April 13 to April 16.
The urgent procedure is necessary for implementing the measures to support the economy, as no subsidies can be granted before the bill has passed.
Deputy speaker of the Riigikogu Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa) said the Riigikogu would begin to process the package in the form of an additional budget under an accelerated procedure. "It's going to take a week or more, but the usual long process can't be allowed," he said on Wednesday.
The government agreed on March 19 to launch a €2 billion package of measures to boost the economy and mitigate the effects of the crisis caused by the coronavirus. This sum is almost 7 percent of Estonia's GDP.
"The aim of the measures is to mitigate the most difficult initial stage of the crisis in order to support and protect Estonian working people and businesses. The State will do everything in its power to ensure the functioning of the Estonian economy in exceptional circumstances," Ratas said then.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm
