Ida-Viru regional program to be cut more than others
While most regional programs in Estonia will face a general 10 percent budget cut next year, the Ida-Viru County program will see a 15 percent reduction, according to local paper Põhjarannik.
According to the cuts plan drafted by the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the budget for the Ida-Viru County program, initially set at €2.8 million, will be reduced by 15 percent, or €420,000. No other regional program will face cuts exceeding 10 percent, the newspaper Põhjarannik reports.
Lüganuse Municipality Mayor Dmitri Dmitrijev expressed frustration over the cut, particularly because the ministry did not provide a clear explanation for this differentiation.
"We received a vague response that other regions also have issues and that Ida-Viru County will receive €2.5 million from a separate environmental fund," Dmitrijev said, pointing out that this disregards the fact that the fund's money comes from the additional taxation of Ida-Viru's oil shale companies.
Sigrid Soomlais, deputy secretary general for regional development at the ministry, told Põhjarannik that the cuts were based on whether there were activities within the program that no longer needed funding. Additionally, they considered whether the program's activities could be supported by other domestic programs or replaced by external funding sources.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marcus Turovski
