The Riigikogu passed with 78 votes in favour the Resolution “Appointment of an Auditor for Supervising the Activities of the National Audit Office in 2012” (305 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee. According to the Resolution, Indrek Alliksaar, Auditor of KPMG Baltics Plc, who has audited the economic activities of the National Audit Office also in 2009‒2011, was appointed to supervise the activities of the National Audit Office in 2012. One member of the Riigikogu abstained.

On the motion of the Social Affairs Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the State Family Benefits Act, the Social Welfare Act and the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act (294 SE), initiated by the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction, was concluded. The essence of this Bill is to take into account, in the payment of family benefits, the principle of providing more support to those who actually need greater help and who have got more children. In the main part, the Bill consists of five amendments to the State Family Benefits Act and the Social Welfare Act: the benefits to families with children living below the relative poverty threshold will be raised in two stages, the child allowances for the third and subsequent child for all families with three or more children will be increased as of 2015, the childbirth allowance in the event of a multiple birth of triplets or more children will be increased as of 1 July 2013, family benefits will be paid to graduates of the basic school who are 16 years of age and older also in summer months, and a provision will be added according to which cumulating allowances (the needs-based child allowance and the child allowance for the third and subsequent child which are provided for by the Bill) will not be included in the income upon determination of subsistence benefits. The Bill was sent to the second reading.

On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Commercial Code and Other Associated Acts (307 SE), initiated by the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction, was concluded. The drafting of the Bill was motivated by changes in the regulation concerning the processing of the commercial register and the land register, and implementation of the new processing software of the commercial register. The current software of the commercial register with which rulings and entries are made in the registration departments of courts was created 14 years ago; the software platform Oracle Forms has become technologically outdated by now. In addition, the regulation has been changed as regards the connection between registration departments and their territorial jurisdictions, and viewing the data of the commercial register. Under the new regulation, registration departments have been granted a possibility to process petitions for an entry which have been submitted to other departments and to make entries on registry cards the maintenance of which is in the competence of another registration department. The Bill was sent to the second reading.

On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Marital Property Register Act, the Notary Fees Act and the Civil Status Acts Act (308 SE), initiated by the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction, was concluded. The aim of the Bill is to create preconditions for transition to an electronic marital property register, implementation of electronic registry cards and files, and simplifying viewing the data entered in the marital property register. The Bill was sent to the second reading.

Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting of the plenary assembly, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (291 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, was adjourned. The deliberation of the Bill will be resumed on Wednesday, 14 November, at the sitting beginning at 2 p.m.

The Riigikogu Press Service