Budget, Estonia, Financial Services, Legislation

Next year's state budget revenues will amount to EUR 8.45 billion, and the expenditures to EUR 8.54 billion. Revenues are forecast to grow by 7% and expenditures by 6% as compared to this year.

The Riigikogu Finance Committee chairman Rannar Vassiljev said that 23 amendment proposals were submitted by MPs and factions to the bill. The committee rejected those.

The Finance Ministry made one amendment proposal on several technical and textual changes to ministries budgets.

The proposal of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Party (Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit – IRL) faction to suspend the second reading of the 2015 state budget bill did not find support. The opposition claims that there is a 300 mln euro gap in the budget that the coalition says is not true.

The budget discussion lasted for 6.5 hours altogether but opposition did not use its delay tactics to extend it into an overnight session like it has happened in earlier years.

The third and final reading of the bill should take place on December 10.