On Monday, committees in the parliament discussed next year's state budget. The first reading of the budget will happen on Tuesday in the main hall. Politicians from the coalition say they understand specific topics better than the whole budget.
Aivar Sõerd, a member of the Finance Committee, has organized the budget by topics and added his own notes. Sõerd said he will also look at last year's budget to get a better overview. He believes the budget should be easier to understand. He thinks the budget should show clearly who gets money, for what, and how much. Other detailed information can be separate for those who want to study it.
Irja Lutsar, a member of the Social Affairs Committee, focuses on the social ministry's part of the budget. She finds it hard to get a clear picture from the budget. She sometimes wonders if small amounts of money can really solve big problems. Often, it turns out that more money is needed from other parts of the budget.
The Finance Committee has discussed the budget many times. The committee's chair, Annely Akkermann, said the budget has become clearer. She said the budget now shows both activity-based and cost-based views. It separates economic and labor costs and includes investments.
Sõerd said the budget could be improved. For example, reforms could save more money than cuts, but these reforms are still being planned or delayed. He said the budget revision lacks specific results or things that were cut. The method is explained well, but the results are modest.
Coalition groups plan to propose changes to the budget. It is not clear yet what these changes will be. Toomas Uibo, the leader of the Estonia 200 group, said changes might come after the first reading. Coalition groups contact ministries to suggest changes and ask if the ministry can prepare them. The proposals go through the finance ministry.
The first reading of the state budget is on Tuesday.