Eesti in brief - 2010-04-21

  • 2010-04-21

As of April 16, 93,666 people were registered in the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund as jobless, meaning that the number of registered jobless fell by 787 in a week, reports Postimees Online. The week before, the drop had been 633. In addition to the total number of jobless, the registered joblessness rate fell for the second week in a row: while two weeks ago it was 14.5 percent, on April 15 it was 14.4 percent. Social Minister Hanno Pevkur said that the number of registered jobless has fallen by nearly 1,500 in two weeks. “What makes me glad is that a fall has taken place in all of Estonia’s counties. The growing number of job offerings is also pleasing,” he said. On April 15, the Unemployment Insurance Fund offered 2,516 jobs, 1,984 of them in Estonia.

On April 13, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met with the Estonian Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic medalists to congratulate the athletes, their coaches, parents and loved ones for the commitment that led to great results. “Thank you for the fame and glory that you have earned for Estonia,” said the prime minister at the celebratory event that was held in Stenbock House. According to the prime minister, Estonia is very lucky to have such people who are good examples for other athletes. “I am sure that there are many young people who have discovered sports thanks to your leading example, and might even bring home Olympic medals one day,” said Ansip. Ansip expressed his conviction that following the example set by the Olympic team has contributed to the increase of the average life expectancy of Estonians. “As long as we have people like you to look up to, it is a great example for us to follow in shaping our ways of life,” said Ansip.

Swiss company Stadler has been awarded the contract announced by the Estonian operator of passenger rail services Elektriraudtee to supply 18 electric trains and 10 diesel trains to Estonia, reports bbn.ee. The contract to supply the electric trains will cost 1.2 billion kroons (76.9 million euros) of which 85 percent will come from the European Cohesion Fund. Elektriraudtee plans to acquire diesel trains on a long-term financial lease, which will cost the state 85 million kroons a year. The state will have an option to acquire up to another 10 diesel trains. Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs Juhan Parts said that the new trains would be the first significant step in the past 20 years in the development of the Estonian public transport system. According to the contract, the new electric trains will arrive in Estonia before the end of 2013, and the new diesel trains by the end of 2014 at the latest.

Tallinn Airport board member Erik Sakkov said that the airport was losing around 1 million kroons (64,100 euros) a day due to the Icelandic volcano ash cloud that had paralyzed Europe’s air traffic. Estonian airspace was re-opened on April 19, through a phased re-opening with a limited number of flights.