Helme: Restrictions will continue in May and June
Minister of Finance Martin Helme said restrictions introduced for the emergency situation will continue for May and June.
Discussions on the restrictions for the second half of the summer are ongoing and an exit strategy is being discussed.
“In a situation where our picture is not clear and ignorance is great, we must err on the side of caution,” Helme said at the government’s press conference which was also attended by Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu on April 16.
Helme emphasized that Estonia has largely been left out of the pandemic and, compared to other countries where the virus has had a far larger impact, Estonia is in a good situation.
The previously forecast worst-case scenario did not turn into reality and the number of deaths in the country is relatively low.
It is not conceivable to hold mass events in the coming months, said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas on April 16, but the discussion is still ongoing and no decision has been made.
State may need to change law before offering Tallink €150 million loan
Minister of Finance Martin Helme said the state plans to offer Tallink a liquidity loan of €150 million, which could later be formalized as the state owning a stake in the company.
However, Helme said it may be necessary to amend the law to carry this out.
“At the moment, we are clearly talking about a loan. That is what they have been asking for,” Helme said at a government press conference on Thursday.
Helme said this is the decision for the next stage. “If there is a wish, we can start talking about turning this loan into a holding.
In the case of Tallink, it also needs a decision of the general meeting, which is a separate procedure in the case of a listed company.”
VES/ERR News
