SDE to miss Riigikogu extraordinary sitting on bill to cut excise duties
The Social Democratic Party (SDE) on Friday morning said it will not be participating in the extraordinary Riigikogu sitting scheduled for later in the day to conduct the second reading of a bill that seeks to lower excise duties.
The Social Democrats said they hold hiking the basic exemption as a far more effective measure to curb inflation than excise cuts.
"We want to really help people, which is why we are after hiking the basic exemption at coalition talks. Cutting the excise duties for gasoline and diesel might not translate into effect at the pumps. Germany serves as a clear warning here as prices there quickly bounced back to recent levels after the duties were slashed," SDE leader Lauri Läänemets said.
The chairman said his party is after hiking the basic exemption to €800 that would leave low-paid people with an extra €720-1,320 annually, adding that SDE also supports hiking the minimum salary to €800.
Seeder: Isamaa have frozen the bill
Helir-Valdor Seeder, head of the Isamaa party that introduced the bill, said Isamaa, that is currently negotiating a new coalition with the Reform Party, will not be playing on two courts simultaneously and prefers to freeze proceedings in their current state.
The extraordinary sitting to conduct the second reading of the bill to slash excise duties was proposed by Center Party MPs and requires the participation of at least 51 MPs to go ahead. The Reform Party does not support the initiative.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
