Inquiry regarding the impact of tax changes on the state budget (no. 648)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
Date: 2024-12-02 17:27
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 23
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 16m
AI Summaries: 23/23 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The present collection of agenda items encompassed four discussions: the first agenda item was the inquiry presented on September 16th by members of the Riigikogu, Lauri Laats, Aleksei Jevgrafov, Andrei Korobeinik, and Vladimir Arhipov, regarding the impact of tax changes on the state budget. The inquiry concerned the financial impact of the tax changes stipulated in the coalition agreement and the subsequent question of the classified status of information requests. The inquirers highlighted Siim Kiisler’s information request, the answer to which was classified for 75 years, and posed several questions to the Minister of Finance. The second part of the agenda items focused on Minister Jürgen Ligi’s responses and explanations concerning the information requests and the responsibility of officials; the discussion also touched on the various sources of collaboration partners and the mechanisms for predicting the impact of tax changes. The third and fourth parts continued the discussion in clarifying the responses and preparations were made for further negotiations and the direction of the session. The entire discussion reflected uncertainty and a need for clarity and swift answers, but continued to address the tools and procedures concerning classification, data sharing, and the state's economic forecasts.
Decisions Made 1
The first item on the agenda has been concluded, and the meeting will continue with the discussion of the subsequent agenda items. It was essentially a procedural decision marking the end of the discussion and the commencement of preparation for the next items.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Lauri Laats (representative of the petitioners), whose participation was evident both in presenting the petition and through questions and comments in several sessions. He presented substantive points of the petition, highlighting the connection to Kiisleri’s information requests and their implementation in the company. His role is as a representative of the Riigikogu faction and as the leading representative of the petition – therefore he is considered the most active participant of the day. As a position, he is “other” (not a representative of a typical left- or right-wing extreme political block), as he operates based on the faction’s ideological angle rather than a party’s.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Today there are four items on the agenda; the first is a parliamentary inquiry submitted by Riigikogu members Laatsi, Jevgrafovi, Korobeiniku and Arhipovi regarding the impact of tax reforms on the state budget, and the inquiry's representative Lauri Laatsi is to deliver a briefing at the Riigikogu's rostrum.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats said that the EK faction's interpellation on the impact of tax reforms on the state budget revealed the Ministry of Finance's 75-year secrecy and Siim Kiisler's information request receiving a negative response, and they submitted five questions to the Minister of Finance, hoping for a substantive answer and a fruitful debate.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanked him and invited Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi to the Riigikogu's podium so that he could respond to the inquiry.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated that no guidelines have been issued to designate information related to the state budget as secret, considers the work of civil servants to be good in accordance with the law, describes broad cooperation with partners (Bank of Estonia, think tanks, universities and auditing firms), and does not advocate for disclosing internally announced information or for removing AK marks without a legal requirement.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets thanked the honorable minister and invited Lauri Laats to speak.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats notes that the answers were very short and did not provide substantive clarity, and asks why there was no response regarding the financial impact of the information request about the tax amendments on the state budget, why an AK mark was placed, whether this is standard practice, and why, specifically in September, during the budget process, proper answers were not provided.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
They confirmed that information containing personal data will remain internal to the institution for 75 years, in accordance with the Public Information Act, pointed to the need to update the law, and emphasized that no exception is made for the former minister.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks for the floor for Anti Poolametsa to speak.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asks directly whether alcohol excise tax revenue is in line with expectations or falls short, how it is progressing in the context of the excise tax increase, and whether the reported indications of insufficient excise revenue are true.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that the aim of tax policy is to reduce consumption, not to increase tax revenues, and it's good news that the consumption of alcohol and tobacco has decreased.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairperson asks Vadim Belobrovtsev to speak.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev notes that keeping the letter secret for 75 years is not justified, describes how a year ago he turned to the Ministry of Culture with a written question and received in response a letter marked with "AK," which actually had nothing that would justify secrecy, and asks what should be done about this matter.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said that this is not his remit, and although the routine of officials may lead to overexertion, regulations perhaps should be refreshed; he is not a specialist in this area and sees an aggressive zeal to render personal information inaccessible, while emphasizing that privacy requirements in society are strengthening and that deciding on regulations is a matter for discussion.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
This text does not contain substantive speech, but is simply inviting Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart emphasizes that part of the taxes has been botched, because there were no economists at the table, and asks the Minister of Finance which taxes exactly he had in mind and whether he agrees that these tax increases were not thought through and that their combined effect may differ from the Ministry of Finance's initial projections.
Rahandusminister Jürgen Ligi
AI Summary
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi emphasizes that in tax reform, consideration is given not only to tax revenues but also to their impact on the economy, and although he has disagreements and is critical of some points of the coalition agreement, he nevertheless implements them as a political compromise.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks the minister, announces that there are no more questions, and, before the opening of negotiations, raises a question related to the procedure for conducting the meeting, to which Lauri Laats is asked to respond.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats said that the minister's claim about Siim Kiisler's letter — whether it contained or requested personal data and therefore should not have been disclosed — created an AK-mark, and he looked at the content of the letter published online and read aloud two sentences that Kiisler asked for.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He asks what exactly a procedural question is.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats asks how to respond to the minister's assertion that personal data were requested in this letter, although in fact they were not requested — the question was very simple.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chair Hussar explains that negotiations are a very simple part of the procedure, where concrete positions and observations can be presented and the minister answers questions if necessary, and he opens the negotiations and calls back the representative of the inquirers, Lauri Laatsi, to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats expressed disappointment over the minister's lack of responses, emphasizing that everyone has the right to ask and the government has an obligation to answer, and he requested the Ministry of Finance's documents on the impact on the state budget of the tax changes planned in coalition agreements, warning officials not to casually add AK marks to the documents.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked and announced that there were no requests to speak, and closed the negotiations and ended the consideration of the first agenda item.