Eesti in brief - 2010-07-07

Two months into this year’s Expo, in Shanghai, Estonia has recorded the millionth visitor to its  pavilion, reports EPL Online. This visitor was a 17-year-old Chinese schoolboy named Wang Qi. The number of visitors at the pavilion will probably exceed the total number of residents in Estonia before the end of July. The main attraction in the pavilion is the installation of 33 giant piggy-banks, each of which represents a different idea on how to improve cities’ social, economic and living environments. Visitors have the opportunity to select from among them the one they most like and vote in favor of them. At the end of each month, those casting their votes will partake in a raffle, where the prize is a trip to Tallinn next year. The Expo will last until Oct. 31, during which time Estonia aims to receive 2.5 - 3 million visitors to its pavilion.

Statistics show that last year the differences in pay earned by men and women in Estonia were falling so fast that if the trend were to continue, the gender differences in wages could disappear by 2012, reports Aripaev. According to the Social Insurance Board, in 2007, women generated more than 31 percent less in social taxes than men; in 2008, the difference had fallen to 28 percent and last year it was less than 20 percent. This also reflects falling incomes of men. Economic researcher Raul Eamets said that the fall in wage levels of men was affected by the collapse of the construction sector. Eamets said that more women than men work in the public sector and, as compared to the private sector, cuts were smaller as wage levels are more rigid there. He said though that the wage gap won’t disappear in the near future. “It will take several generations. Clearly there are still men’s and women’s jobs.”

Estonia adopted on July 5 a new order for managing the .ee Internet domains, which makes the domain much more accessible as private individuals and foreigners can register a domain with that ending from now on, reports National Broadcasting. Until now, the .ee domain could be used by state institutions as well as Estonian companies. “The Internet and .ee domain have an important role in the working of the state’s economy. We have to behave here in line with customs of the developed world, be available and open,” said Estonian Internet Foundation board chairman Marek-Andres Kauts. Registering domain names takes place now at two levels, and servicing of the users has been delegated to registry keepers. The transfer to the new domain rules affects all of those who registered .ee domains according to the old rules, too. They will be subject to a 6-month transition period during which they have to pick a domain registry keeper and renew their registration.