Ministers shoot down clean payments for security police

TALLINN- The Estonian social affairs and finance ministershave shot down a proposal by the security police to reshuffle how they arepaid, Postimees reported on Sept. 3.

According to a draft law set out by the security police,official wages would increase by as much as 15 percent next year. However,security police representatives say the pay hikes would come from holidaybonuses and would not require an increase to the organization's budget.

"The bringing of the monthly pay rates higher will entail noadditional expenses and the size of the payroll will not increase. The goal isto increase transparency in the way wages are administered," ChiefSuperintendent Ene Lehiste and Superintendent Olari Valtin said in the coverletter to the bill.

The social affairs ministry and the finance ministry refusedto approve the plan, however, saying that it will entail additional expenses inthe form of pension payments to retired officers.