The Bill on Amendments to the Public Transport Act (623 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 86 votes in favour. The purpose of the amendments is to ensure performance of the obligations arising from the European Union law in cases of passenger services provided in road and railway traffic on the basis of public service contracts. Nobody voted against the Act. This Act enters into force on the following day after its publication in the Riigi Teataja.

 

The Act on Amendments to the Health Care Services Organisation Act, the Health Insurance Act and Other Acts (637 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 86 votes in favour. The purpose of the amendments is to amend the Act by adding the definition of family nurse and to specify the wording of the Act such that it would allow to better implement the competence of family nurse, to optimise the organisation of work of family physicians and family nurses and to update in the work instructions of family physicians the areas of activities of family nurses who work together with a family physician. Nobody voted against the Act. This Act enters into force on 1 January 2010, clause 1 5) of the Act enters into force on 1 April 2010.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Land Tax Act (636 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 47 votes in favour. The purpose of the amendment is to improve receipt of land tax: the term for performance of the tax liability is synchronised with the time of submitting the income tax return of natural person. This way it will be possible to notify a person at the time of submitting the tax return of natural person of the extent of the amount of land tax which he or she has to pay and to reduce by the respective amount the overpaid amount of income tax refunded to the natural person. The Bill also amends the current regulation of payment of land tax. Instead of the current procedure of dividing the amount into three and having three due dates, two due dates and the limit of the amount 1000 kroons are established, and the taxable person will have to pay an amount smaller than or equal to that amount by the first due date, 31 March. Also, in case of an amount of tax exceeding 1000 kroons, at least half of the amount of tax, however not less than 1000 kroons, will have to be paid by the first due date. The remaining amount of tax will be paid by the second due date, 1 October. 31 members of the Riigikogu voted against the Act and 1 member of the Riigikogu abstained. The Act enters into force on 1 January 2010.

 

The Paying Authorities and Electronic Money Institutions Act (610 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 84 votes in favour. The Act regulates the provision of payment and electronic money services, the activities and liability of paying authorities and e-money institutions, and supervision of such authorities. Nobody voted against the Act.

 

The Act on Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Serbia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation with Respect to Taxes on Income and the Protocol thereto (641 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 80 votes in favour. Nobody voted against the Act. The Act enters into force on the day following its publication in the Riigi Teataja.

 

The Resolution on appointment of an auditor for supervising the activities of the State Audit Office in 2009 (644 OE) was passed with 85 votes in favour. Indrek Alliksaar, Auditor of KPMG Baltics Plc, is going to supervise the activities of the State Audit Office in 2009. Nobody voted against the Resolution.

 

In the words of the Vice-President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas, the Board of the Riigikogu amended the agenda of today’s sitting by adding the seventh item – Father Christmas.

Father Christmas who came to bring Christmas wishes to the Riigikogu said that this year which is about to end has passed as quickly as the previous year. Father Christmas noted that his bag of presents had become somewhat emptier but it had become heavier to the extent of value added tax and presents were notably more expensive that year. “I am extremely glad that all of us, in Christmas Land and in whole Estonia, are very cheerful and in great expectation, ready to save a little bit more, to endure a little bit more, to make a little bit more effort at this turn of the year, in order to at long last reach that wonderful and enchanted euro. And it is no secret that in a way we can also say that it is the light at the end of this tunnel,” said Father Christmas. He said good words about the Riigikogu basketball team who is the three time champion of the Baltic parliamentarians’ basketball tournament and expressed his wish that the Riigikogu basketball team stand for continuation of the tournaments. The guest expressed his wish that Christmas would be a joyful time for families and stressed that the time for peace and joy had in fact already come. “No matter that flu is raging and it is cold outside. That goes with a winter and I believe you are all in good health and strength,” hoped Father Christmas who also gave presents to the Riigikogu factions.

 

Read Father Christmas’s speech in the verbatim record of the sitting:

 

 

The Riigikogu Press Service