Prime minister: Riigikogu's role in budget proceedings should be increased
If there is a change within the budget year and it is more than 30 percent of the volume or more than a certain amount, then this part of the budget must return to the Riigikogu for decision, Prime Minister and Reform Party chairwoman Kaja Kallas said.
In an interview with the daily newspaper Postimees, Kallas said that the government has discussed how to make the state budget clearer at two sessions of the government cabinet.
"Not only the costs and revenues of the ministries but that it is written down where they come from," Kallas said, confirming that the new year's budget is already being discussed based on the new principles.
The prime minister said that when reading the budget, it must be clear where the money goes and where the money comes from, after which the members of the Riigikogu could make amendments.
"Moreover, if there is a change within the budget year and it is more than 30 percent of the volume or more than a certain amount, then this part of the budget must come back to the Riigikogu for decision," Kallas noted.
The Reform chairwoman's opinions differ from that of former finance minister, and current member of the Riigikogu's finance committee Jürgen Ligi (Reform), who told ERR on September 8 that the competence of the Riigikogu in processing the state budget should not be increased, as MPs may instead harm the budget out of ignorance or in service of populist goals.
I have been fighting initiatives to boost the Riigikogu's role in putting together the budget since before I was minister, during and after because I know that role to be incompetent, self-serving and indifferent to what matters," Ligi said on the "Otse uudistemajast" web show.
He said that while MPs might want to come off magnanimous when making proposals to amend the budget, such efforts hurt the big picture. "That is the rule and why we have limited the parliament's capacity," he said.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino