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Parliamentary immunity specified. Number of credit risk companies reaches pre-crisis level.
Press Digest, Wednesday, January 23
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EESTI PÄEVALEHT: Parliamentary immunity specified. The Riigikogu Constitutional Committee has put together a bill to specify conditions of parliamentary immunity as corresponding regulation is considered vague. According to the bill, parliamentary immunity cannot be used in connection with activities that are unrelated to the execution of one's political mandate or to circumvent legal responsibility. Furthermore immunity is not applicable in case of crimes in the first degree provided an MP is caught in the act of committing the crime. If suspicions or accusations are based on hearsay or circumstantial evidence, a Riigikogu decision will be required to arrest and detain MPs. The committee is considering giving judges the right to authorize searches of offices, homes and vehicles of parliament members. Deputy chairman of the committee Denis Boroditš said that the bill is almost finished and will be sent to the Riigikogu Legal Affairs Committee for coordination before its first reading.
ÄRIPÄEV: Number of credit risk companies reaches pre-crisis level. Credit information portal Krediidiinfo said at a press event yesterday that the number of companies it does not recommend lending to has reached 19 percent in Estonia as tax arrears and corporate debt volumes have grown among small and medium-sized businesses. The portal announced that the number of companies owing tax arrears has grown by 225 year-over-year and that tax arrears currently amount to 74 million euros. The Tax and Customs Board puts the total volume of corporate and private individual arrears at 350 million euros. Solvency problems are more prominent in Harju and Rapla counties and among tertiary sector businesses and less of a concern in Saaremaa and Võru County. Krediidiinfo concludes that while the growing number of risk group companies points to greater sales courage and willingness to take business risks, continuation of the trend might herald some concerns.