Eesti in brief

The Estonian Taxpayers’ Union decided to award its annual title The Taxpayers’ Enemy to Finance Minister Jurgen Ligi and The Taxpayers’ Friend title to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, reports Public Broadcasting. The Union explained the title granted to Ligi with the fact that several proposals for amending tax laws presented at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 are based on the right plans, but the contents of the changes and the way they were presented to the public were completely unacceptable. The union is also bothered by the arrogant communication style and inappropriate remarks from the minister. The title of the Friend of the Taxpayer was granted to President Ilves for not promulgating the amendments to the VAT law that the parliament approved, which would have obliged businesses to start submitting detailed information about their transactions in the VAT declaration supplement.

There is still a gender gap among young people in Estonia, with young job seekers expecting to have a gross salary of 800-1,200 euros, while at the same time a significant portion of women are willing to work for a lower salary, the Estonian national broadcasting corporation ERR reports referring to a survey conducted by on-line job seeking portal CV Keskus. Only 21.7 percent of men are willing to accept a gross salary of less than 800 euros, whereas the same salary would be accepted by 44.5 percent of women. A gross salary of 1,200 euros or more was expected by 28.3 percent of men and only 15.1 percent of women. According to Managing Director of CV Keskus Paavo Heil, he expects a slight increase in salaries this year, but with the gender gap decreased. A year ago, a gross salary of less than 800 euros was accepted by 22.1 percent of men and 48.3 percent of women.

Tallinn Police seized 42 drunk youngsters at a party last weekend; the police force even had to break the door down to enter the premises, reports the Estonian broadcasting corporation. This happened on Saturday evening, when a total of 122 teens were celebrating a birthday, 102 of whom were below the legal drinking age of 18, and 42 of whom were drunk. The celebrating company was marched to a police station to wait for their parents; one 16-year-old needed medical assistance due to her high level of intoxication. According to the Rescue Board, alcohol consumption often causes sudden deaths, starting from accidental fires in dwellings, to traffic accidents. Fighting youth alcoholism is an issue in all three Baltic States. Last month, Lithuanian MP Antanas Matulas proposed to raise the alcohol consumption floor to 20 years, so that no persons under 20 would be entitled to use alcohol or carry it with them.