Riigikogu protection money to grow to €6 million in elections year
The Riigikogu Finance Committee is set to discuss how parties will split funds for regional investments or so-called Riigikogu protection money next week. Committee chair Aivar Kokk (Isamaa) told ERR that the investments sum will exceed €6 million this year.
If the 2020 state budget earmarked €4.2 million for direct regional investments, Kokk said the sum will grow to €6 million in next year's budget. He could not say, however, how much of the money different parliamentary parties will get to distribute.
The 2021 state budget bill passed its second reading on Wednesday. Kokk said that active debates over the use of protection money will begin next week. "All proposals need to be in by the end of next week," the MP said.
EKRE Riigikogu group head Siim Pohlak told ERR's "Otse uudistemajast" webcast on Wednesday that how protection money is distributed will largely match last year's magnitudes. "Discussion is underway and we have received a lot of proposals for things that need to be done in rural areas. Decisions are yet to be made," Pohlak said.
Deputy head of the Center Party group in the Riigikogu Andrei Korobeinik said his party will make proposals totaling €2.3 million to the 2021 state budget.
Reform Party MP Siim Kallas told ERR that the party will once again not participate in the process. "The press should long since be aware of our stance regarding protection money," Kallas said.
The final reading of the 2021 state budget is scheduled to take place on December 9.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
