Vaher: Services necessary to the people must be preserved when county governments are abolished
At its today’s sitting, the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) decided by consensus to send the Bill on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act and Other Acts (432 SE), and Bill on Amendments to the Administrative Reform Act and Other Acts Relating to the Implementation of the Administrative Reform (433 SE) to first reading.
“Today people visit the county governments mainly in order to conclude marriages and register the birth of children. It is important to ensure that when county governments are abolished, all the services that are necessary for the local population would still be available,” Chairman of the Constitutional Committee Ken-Marti Vaher said.
Pursuant to the Bill that is intended to end the activities of county governments, it is planned to abolish county governments from 1 January 2018. The tasks of county governments will be distributed between local governments, ministries and other government agencies.
Minister of Public Administration Mihhail Korb, who presented the report on ending the activities of county governments to the Constitutional Committee, said that the local governments had a positive attitude towards the abolishing of county governments. The Minister explained that the purpose of the Bill was to increase the role of local governments and to organise the competences of state agencies.
At present, the main tasks of county governments are organising public transport, supervision over educational establishments, issuing activity licences in social affairs and supervision over them, land reform and activities relating to land, population activities, and supervision over the administrative acts of local governments and consultation.
The Bill dealing with the implementation of the administrative reform provides for changes in the organisation of public transport. Public transport in counties will be organised by local governments or the Road Administration through the public transport centre. Besides that, the Bill will make organising culture and sports work, and planning and directing the development of the county in cooperation of local governments the responsibility of local government units.
Riigikogu Press Service
Eva Vahur
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