Draft law amending the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Tax Act and other laws (510 SE) - Third Reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
Date: 2024-12-11 16:32
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 24
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 29m
AI Summaries: 24/24 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The third agenda item concerned the third reading of the draft law amending the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Tax Act and other laws, initiated by the Republic's Government. Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party faction, delivered the opening speech and proposed opening negotiations. The draft law focused on updating taxes and excise duties with the aim of strengthening the state budget, but it sparked considerable debate between various political forces regarding the impact of taxation on consumers and businesses, and discussion of potential alternatives for increasing state revenue.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 510 was passed as law; 57 members of the Riigikogu voted in favor, 27 voted against, and there were 0 abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Anti Poolamets (Isamaa faction, right-wing political orientation), who presented and developed the main discussion points and chaired several sections and supplementary proposals.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi opens the third-reading draft bill 510, which concerns amendments to the alcohol, tobacco, fuel and electricity excise taxes and to other laws, on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party faction.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
In his presentation, Tšaplõgin claims that raising taxes slows the economy and that the economy has been declining for the fourth year in a row, although the government is trying to continue this, and he emphasizes that wealth taxes or progressive income taxes are not necessary, offering alternatives such as cutting bureaucracy, abandoning the Rail Baltica project, and eliminating subsidies for green energy, which would allow the state to save billions of euros.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
They thank you and ask that Anti Poolamets represent the EKRE faction.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asks the audience to give him three more minutes.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi said that the speech would last a total of eight minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets stresses that in Estonia electricity is almost 100 times more expensive than in Finland, and this, according to him, reflects an outstanding energy and tax policy.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The statement says that tomorrow's price is not yet known.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets emphasizes that the current tax policy — especially increases in gasoline excise taxes and alcohol excise taxes and value-added tax — deepens the economic crisis, reduces people's purchasing power, and undermines the competitiveness of businesses as well as tourism and cross-border shopping, and therefore such tax increases should be avoided.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks the listeners.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They thank everyone.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Aivar Kokk represents the Isamaa faction and submits a petition.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Aivar Kokk describes the coalition's tax policy as a tax rollercoaster, in which taxes rise steadily and burden mainly families in rural areas, and accuses the Social Democrats and the coalition of not caring about people's welfare.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks a colleague whether he is finishing up or would like three more minutes.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asked for three more minutes.
Aivar Kokk
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
An Isamaa representative, Aivar Kokk, said that to stimulate the economy money should come from entrepreneurship rather than from banks, promised to abolish the car tax first and then review increases in excise duties, value-added tax and income tax, and criticized the state budget debate and the Social Democrats' tax policy.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi gives thanks and, on behalf of the Reform Party faction, asks that Annely Akkermann take the floor.
Annely Akkermann
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The presentation explains that the aim of the excise tax increases is to raise state budget revenues and reduce the deficit, and to increase the gambling tax allocations to the Cultural Capital and standardize its distribution, thereby increasing funding for culture and sports activities, and it forecasts that by 2028 the amount at the Cultural Capital’s disposal will grow from 28 million to 54 million euros, adding that the cancellation of the additional increase in the alcohol excise tax is a central topic in the Finance Committee due to considerations of health and social costs.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, said that it had become very interesting and asked for three more minutes.
Annely Akkermann
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The briefing states that the gradual rise in alcohol and tobacco taxes in the coming years will improve the budget and secure cultural and sports subsidies, although in the short term the additional 5% increase on 1 July was temporarily dropped.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This is a short thank-you message, in which, on behalf of the SDP faction, Madis Kallas is asked to take the floor.
Madis Kallas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Kallas noted that the draft bill is substantive and stems from justified expenditure needs aimed at improving the state of Estonia, emphasized cooperation and the accuracy of the facts, and stated that the Social Democrats support the draft bill and urged everyone to engage in constructive cooperation.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chair, Toomas Kivimägi, announced the end of the negotiations and called for preparing for the final vote on Draft Bill 510, and asked colleagues to take a position and vote on the Act on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Taxes and Other Legislation.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The Riigikogu adopted Bill 510 into law: 57 members voted in favor, 27 against, 0 abstentions.