Internal Security Expenditure Should Also Reach 2% of GDP, Says Minister
Internal Affairs Minister Hanno Pevkur said the state should also increase internal security spending to 2 percent of GDP, on par with defense spending.
He said the current figure is around 1.7 percent, although the state has recently made one-off investments into the field, due to the events in Ukraine.
“When we are talking about keeping rioters in check, quick reaction forces, equipment of the border guards and also improving communication capability, then that adds up to 4.5 million euros that will soon be invested into internal security, in addition (to the 1.7 percent),” Pevkur told Eesti Päevaleht.
Not a great idea, says Ligi
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said internal security spending should not be tied to the GDP.
He told uudised.err.ee today that this is only sensible when there are international commitments to collective defense.
He said the budget is tight enough and Estonian internal defense spending in ratio to GDP is higher than the average of developed nations.