Center Party and Isamaa promise to speed up Tallinn planning procedures
The Center Party and Isamaa, who are participating in the Tallinn coalition negotiations, presented their respective points of view in relation to property and entrepreneurship in the capital. The parties envision accelerating planning procedures and reducing bureaucracy.
"Tallinn must be a prudent owner of its assets – this will be a clear principle of the city government that is to be created," said Lauri Laats, a member of the Center Party's negotiating delegation.
"However, we also need to look at the role of the capital from a national perspective – as the biggest tourist destination for example. This is why developing the Old Town as a tourist destination, but also as a place to live and do business, is our focus. And, of course, we all understand that the capital produces nearly half of Estonia's GDP, which means that in a situation where the state has been unable to get the national economy going, Tallinn must shoulder the burden. We are speeding up planning and, in our communication with entrepreneurs, we are being guided by the goal of reducing bureaucracy to a minimum," Laats added.
At the same time, Laats said that there are plans to introduce metrics to measure entrepreneurs' satisfaction with the city. According to Laats, there are no plans to hire additional staff.
According to Laats, one goal of the coalition being formed is to create a large conference center in Linnahall. He noted that a construction assessment has shown that the load-bearing structures are strong. He believes the proposed conference center can be built in cooperation with the private sector.
In addition, Laats promised to develop a loan guarantee program to help young families to purchase real estate.
Sven Sester, representative of Isamaa in the talks, said that the other side of the coin when it comes to stimulating the economy is the city's minimal intervention in business.
"We will state in the coalition agreement that the city can only engage in business itself in situations where it is strategically necessary. If there is a functioning market, there is no reason for the public sector to be involved. At the same time, we will develop a long-term real estate strategy for the city and, if necessary, we will value the city's real estate, especially plots of land that are currently unused, in order to find a use for them in the performance of public functions or to sell them through public auction so that the city can develop," said Sester.
According to Sester, the city government will establish the Tallinn Economic Growth Council and begin to involve business organizations.
Those involved in the negotiations also agreed that Tallinn will not raise the existing local taxes or introduce new ones.
---
Editor: Michael Cole, Aleksander Krjukov
