Matters of business environment were deliberated in the Riigikogu
Minister of Justice Rein Lang presented the report “Development of Legal Policy and Business Environment” at the sitting of the plenary assembly of the Riigikogu. In his report Mr. Lang highlighted the most important spheres for the creation of a legal environment fostering entrepreneurship and investments.
On the basis of expert opinion and the survey carried out among entrepreneurs the Minister stated that it was necessary to modernize company law, economic administration law as well as labour law. Analysing the connections between the legal system and the economic development, Mr. Lang stated that it was necessary to enhance the notary services, to introduce the principle of cost-based state fees, and to make the economic penal power clearer.
In order to promote a more business-friendly environment, Mr. Lang advocates the creation of possibilities for remote controlling enterprises. In the future, companies registered in Estonia could thus perform transactions under the company law by electronic means. Dealing with the need to simplify the collection of data from public registers, the Minister proposed to create one information environment. “It is possible to create an entrepreneurial environment on the web, where information would be received from several registers at once, along with any other information the entrepreneurs need, for example about enforcement procedures, bankrupts, taxation etc. I n the words of the Minister, essential changes should be made in the procedure for founding companies, first of all, to make the process more rapid. “The Ministry of Justice sees no reason why companies could not be founded in 2-3 hours in the near future, without compromising their legal certainty. Today this requires only political will,” Mr.Lang stated.
Among other things the Minister’s report also dealt with the importance of creating standards for private limited companies in the most flexible form and the need to introduce reorganisation proceedings to compliment bankruptcy proceedings.
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The Riigikogu passed with 38 votes in favour (1 abstention) the Resolution of the Riigikogu On the Appointment of the Representative of Estonia to the Control Committee of the Nordic Investment Bank (870 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee. Meelis Atonen was appointed a representative of Estonia to the Control Committee of the Nordic Investment Bank from 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2008.
The Riigikogu passed with 43 votes in favour the Resolution of the Riigikogu On the Repeal of the Resolution of the Riigikogu On the Formation of the Estonian Delegation to the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (869 OE), submitted by the Foreign Affairs Committee. Pursuant to the Resolution, the activities of the Estonian delegation to the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) was completed.
The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to § 22 of the Traffic Insurance Act (737 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Faction, Estonian Reform Party Faction and Estonian People’s Union Faction.
The first reading of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu On Amendments to the Resolution of the Riigikogu On the Formation of the State Budget Control Committee of the Riigikogu (871 OE), presented by the Select Committee, formed for controlling the state budget, and
the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Local Governments Organisation Act (812 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Jarno Laur and Mark Soosaar, were concluded.
On the motion of the Finance Committee, the Bill on Amendments to § 15 of the Value Added Tax Act (825 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Mark Soosaar and Peeter Kreitzberg, was withdrawn from legislative proceeding. 33 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 13 members of the Riigikogu against it.
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Persons Repressed by Occupying Powers Act and State Fees Act (846 SE), initiated by the Res Publica Faction, was withdrawn from legislative proceeding. 35 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 13 members of the Riigikogu against it.
The Riigikogu Press Service