Prime Minister Andrus Ansip replied to the interpellation (No. 228) concerning the repurchase of Eesti Raudtee, submitted on 3 May by Members of the Riigikogu Henn Pärn, Ants Pauls, Andres Jalak and Marko Mihkelson.

Prime Minister said that the state had not made the decision not to use the possibility to repurchase Eesti Raudtee. The steps taken by the Government show the firm position of the state that the obligations assumed by an agreement and the legal acts valid in the independent state must be fulfilled, regardless of whether the investor comes from Estonia or abroad. Mr. Ansip stated that this was certainly not a re-nationalisation. “A warning for the termination of the privatisation agreement has been sent to the BRS, but the state will be appeased if the BRS will eliminate the referred violations or submit a plan for the elimination of these violations,” the Prime Minister said. As concerns the infrastructure of the Eesti Raudtee, the Railway Inspectorate has drawn up a total of 41 protocols in the course of checking the fulfilment of requirements established in legal acts during the last years, 35 of which have ended in precepts.  They are documents testifying the technical conditions of the concrete railway infrastructure constructions and buildings. 41 protocols drafted in the course of activities of the state supervision point out 728 shortcomings of different aspects. 103 of these shortcomings were serious enough to require the closure of the railway traffic, as the Prime Minister told the Riigikogu.

Prime Minister replied to three more interpellations: to the interpellation (No.226) concerning the present situation in internal security, submitted on 3 May by Members of the Riigikogu Kadi Pärnits, Eiki Nestor, Katrin Saks, Jüri Tamm Ivari Padar, Jarno Laur, Peeter Kreitzberg and Sven Mikser; to the interpellation (No. 231) concerning the privatisation of the shares of AS Werol, submitted on 8 May by Members of the Riigikogu Ken-Marti Vaher, Tiit Niilo, Heil-Valdor Seeder, Sven Sester and Indrek Raudne; to the interpellation (No. 238) concerning the 9 May demonstration, submitted on 11 May by Members of the Riigikogu Trivimi Velliste, Peeter Tulviste, Juhan Parts, Marko Mihkelson, Helir-Valdor Seeder, Indrek Raudne and Urmas Reinsalu.

The agenda of the sitting was specified at the beginning of the sitting. On the motion of the Social Affairs Committee the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act, Value Added Tax Act, Public Health Act, State Fees Act and Code of Civil Procedure (918 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, was removed from the agenda for the working week.

The Riigikogu Press Service