OREANDA-NEWS. October 07, 2013. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip presented the bill of the State Budget for 2014 to Riigikogu, describing the budget as forward-looking and socially responsible. According to the prime minister, reasonable caution has been exercised in drafting the budget.

“The budget for 2014 was drawn at a time when budget income is higher than expected, our unemployment rate has decreased rapidly and salaries have gone up by 8.5 per cent,” the prime minister said in the Riigikogu. “At the same time, however, our economy is growing more slowly than expected, just 1.5 per cent, and the economic situation of our main export partners is unstable.”

According to the prime minister, we have been performing quite well compared to many other countries. “On the one hand, this gives rise to a wish to spend more, while on the other hand we all still remember the lessons of the crisis clearly. We must be realistic about increasing our expenses,” he stressed.

The prime minister called the budget socially responsible. “We help those that need help most of all,” the prime minister said. “The budget is also looking forward – we continue with the important reforms in education, we keep the defence forces in mind and we keep our state finances healthy.”

He added that the structural budget position of the government sector is in surplus, just as the government foresaw in the budget strategy document in April. The tax system continues to be stable, simple and transparent. Both of these goals have been set down in the coalition contract.

The prime minister concluded his presentation to the Riigikogu by calling upon the members of the parliament to support the presented budget bill, and wished for a constructive debate.