In his speech at the convention of the Reform Party in this southern city on Saturday, the party's chairman and Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip emphasized the importance of speeding up economic growth and described it as the only way to raise overall wealth.
"The main concerns of the people of Estonia are related to day-to-day coping," Ansip said according to remarks relayed by spokespeople. "Every person knows that the only sustainable source of increase in incomes is economic growth. Only when we are able to increase our economy will the incomes of our people increase."
"We have gone through rapid and successful development namely thanks to our consistent policy of promoting development of the economy, not through populistic one-off offerings of goodies," Ansip said.
The prime minister said that for the general wealth level of Estonians to rise an increase in productivity is needed, for which wider application of top-level know-how and technology and more capital are necessary.
As the main task of the government in this he named maintaining and increasing the international competitiveness of the business and tax environment.
The prime minister described population decline and ageing of the population as a big challenge which Estonia shares with other developed countries of the West.
"It is namely the goal of valuing each and every individual that the planned need-based family and social allowances, the reform of the system of incapability for work, and making a powerful input into the development of personal health care are aiming for," he said.
Ansip singled out personal health health care as one thing that the country should pursue vigorously for the sake of its people's health.
He added that given its accomplishments in the past 20 years Estonia had reason to be proud as a people and a country. "In a couple of decades Estonia has emerged as a country that others see as an example. That big change has materialized thanks to the hardworking Estonian people, who have wished to do things better. This aspiration, this tenacity of the Estonian people, this positive grit, and not moaning, is what takes us ahead," Ansip said.
Ansip, who has stood at the helm of the Reform Party since 2004, is the sole candidate for chairman of the party at Saturday's convention.
Ansip has promised to head the party until the end of the tenure of the present government.