Where Does the Money Go?

The leading party of the government has made a terrible discovery – money has disappeared. Kaja Kallas, committing political suicide and whose departure is supported by over 70% of the country's citizens, merely shrugs – what doesn’t exist, doesn’t exist. The state lacks funds for family support, teacher salary increases, decent pensions, and healthcare that would allow access to doctors without waiting lists. Yet, there is enough of this elusive money for the excessive embellishment of a hugely politicized army of officials in ministries and state institutions, for building new government buildings, and for shadow activities pursued by organizations like the Human Rights Center, which are hostile to Estonia, or minority groups beating family values and cultivating neo-liberal sexuality, who also nibble sweet bites from the state's purse.

While tensions around teacher salaries leave the Prime Minister relatively cold, her namesake serving as the Minister of Education has been spurred into action. Without much trouble, eight million was found in the ministry's budget, which the minister was ready to add to the teachers' salary fund, but unfortunately, due to unclear circumstances, it did not reach there. However, this incident has a broader significance. Now it’s clear that there are enough savings in the ministries from where money can be found in a snap, if there’s only the will to honestly analyze which duplications can be eliminated, which substitute activities can be ended, and which marketing tricks should not be spent on, as state-commissioned TV commercials and other such nonsense do not enhance our lives in the slightest.

Money is like a swamp.

It seems that the song the Prime Minister repeatedly uses as a leitmotif - there is no money, there won't be any money! - has struck a chord with the Minister of Education. To investigate where the state's money has hopelessly disappeared, the Ministry of Education hired experienced political fish Jaak Aaviksoo, who has devoted himself to the desirably thrilling profession of a private detective. Aaviksoo's task was to determine where money disappears in the ministry and whether it's possible to reduce expenses in some way. Note, the highly educated officials in the ministry themselves were not capable of this!

The results didn’t take long to appear. Aaviksoo’s sharp mind immediately realized that there is no actual shortage of money; it’s just not being managed properly. There is enough money in the sector. Many European countries can’t even dream of allocating as much as 5.8-6.3 percent of their GDP to education. But teachers don't see this lavishness in their paychecks, as the budget's main focus is elsewhere. Aaviksoo states a golden truth that applies to all Estonian ministries and government agencies - the money is there in the ministry, but it could be spent more purposefully.

Wasteful spending must end.

The only way to stop the constant whining about financial woes is to immediately start a fundamental reform of the government apparatus, bringing the number of officials to a reasonable level. However, Kaja Kallas’s cabinet plans to increase the number of officials instead. For example, the “no money” government plans include a new eco-building for the climate ministry costing more than 60 million, where it’s much more pleasant to conduct business, and a newly created regional development agency with 400 high-paid officials. An example of aimless money squandering is EAS, whose 578 dedicated bureaucrats’ diligent paperwork has led to a situation where exports are falling into a black hole, but state enterprise support remains inaccessible due to excessive paperwork, and actually, there’s not much to distribute, as most of the mega-agency's funds are spent on salaries.

Estonia would suffice with just one Aaviksoo.

The truth is that we have a government that doesn’t understand purposeful spending and rather slaps taxes. We have a bunch of coalition politicians who are not concerned about the worsening living conditions of the people but pursue some aimless personal agenda. We have an enormous number of officials who expect a salary increase twice a year as a matter of course, only to fall back into inactive lethargy. Why all this political-based crowd when, in fact, just one Aaviksoo would suffice, who could find the means for teacher salaries, support for large families, pension increases, and other purposeful needs that would ensure the survival of the Estonian state.

Vsevolod Jürgenson