Prime Minister Andrus Ansip replied to the interpellation concerning use of the funds of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and unemployment (No 278), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Mai Treial, Villu Reiljan, Karel Rüütli, Tarmo Mänd, Ester Tuiksoo and Jaanus Marrandi on 8 April.

 

The Prime Minister said that the net assets of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund had amounted to 2.3814 billion kroons as at 31 March 2009, including the legal reserve of 318 million kroons, the unemployment insurance benefit trust fund of 1.7495 billion kroons and the trust fund for benefits upon lay-offs and insolvency of employers of 779 million kroons. Income from investment earned by the unemployment insurance fund amounted to 110.4 million kroons in 2003–2006 and to 11.6 million kroons in 2007–2008. The net gain of investments was 13 million kroons in the first quarter of 2009. “The supervisory board of the unemployment insurance fund establishes the investment requirements of the unemployment insurance fund and the unemployment insurance fund has observed these requirements in its activities,” explained Ansip.

 

Unemployment insurance system is based on the presumption and an Act according to which the financial covering necessary for the functioning of the system is collected from the unemployment insurance premiums paid by employers and employees. “In principle, the state for its part should not allocate additional funds to unemployment insurance system. If the sustainability of the unemployment insurance fund is called into question, it is possible to take different measures like, for example, raise unemployment insurance premium rates, review the benefits package, etc. However, in principle, we have to know that the unemployment insurance fund as a person in public law cannot go bankrupt. If the unemployment insurance fund does not have enough funds to cover its obligations, then these obligations will transfer to the state,” noted Ansip.

 

The Prime Minister also replied to the interpellation concerning the II pension pillar (No 279), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Rein Ratas, Aadu Must, Heimar Lenk, Vladimir Velman and Jaak Aab on 8 April.

 

The Minister of Finance Ivari Padar replied to the interpellation concerning pension funds (No 282), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Inara Luigas, Helle Kalda, Aivar Riisalu, Olga Sõtnik, Kalev Kallo, Rein Ratas, Lauri Laasi, Valeri Korb, Lembit Kaljuvee, Marika Tuus and Heimar Lenk on 15 April, and the interpellation concerning the situation of the tobacco market (No 287), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Karel Rüütli, Mai Treial, Villu Reiljan, Ester Tuiksoo, Tarmo Mänd and Jaanus Marrandi on 22 April.

 

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts replied to the interpellation concerning the development of the Estonian electricity market (No 284), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Marek Strandberg, Aleksei Lotman, Maret Merisaar, Mart Jüssi and Toomas Trapido on 21 April.

 

The Riigikogu Press Service