TALLINN — In an effort to cut expenses in government spending, finance minister Jürgen Ligi has taken the saying “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” to heart.

The Estonian government is due to complete its 2011 to 2014 budget strategy by the end of May and the minister is announcing his new measures.

Ligi suggested at the Cabinet meeting Thursday that not all [private_supervisor]students should have free meals at schools, but only selected students.  The same scenario goes for student support, he said.

Free meals were adopted in 2006 when the country’s economy was on the rise.

The lunch cut would save 3.6 million krooni (€230,081) for the government each year. Currently the government supports all secondary school students by covering 11.15 krooni (€0.70) of their lunch meal each day.

Currently, students in state universities can apply for learning support which is 500-1500 krooni (€32-96) per month. Also, 1.2 billion krooni (€76.7 million) per year could be saved by reducing the number of people receiving child support and single parent support.

Ligi said that the finance minister’s role is to ensure the state’s fiscal survival and does not deal with issues like whether it will harm children.

“The society is whole and its purposes must be realized using the most effective methods,” Ligi told Baltic Reports.

According to Ligi, ministers are requesting 4.5 billion krooni (€288 million) more in funding to ease the 4 billion krooni (€256 million) deficit. All of the new proposals must be covered by cuts to make ends meet.

“I have never shared an opinion that meat loaf and potatoes are part of education and that the ministers’ children must have that on behalf of taxpayers,” Ligi said “In times of crisis it is clear that someone must be deprived in order to give more support to those in financial difficulties.”

There is dissension, however, within Ligi’s Reform Party about implementing such an unpopular measure. Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur said the Cabinet look likely to scuttle the idea.

“Those proposals made by the Ministry of Finance were not supported in that form,” Pevkur told Baltic Reports. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]students should have free meals at schools, but only selected students. The same scenario goes for student support, he said.

Free meals were adopted in 2006 when the country’s economy was on the rise.

The lunch cut would save 3.6 million krooni (€230,081) for the government each year. Currently the government supports all secondary school students by covering 11.15 krooni (€0.70) of their lunch meal each day.

Currently, students in state universities can apply for learning support which is 500-1500 krooni (€32-96) per month. Also, 1.2 billion krooni (€76.7 million) per year could be saved by reducing the number of people receiving child support and single parent support.

Ligi said that the finance minister’s role is to ensure the state’s fiscal survival and does not deal with issues like whether it will harm children.

“The society is whole and its purposes must be realized using the most effective methods,” Ligi told Baltic Reports.

According to Ligi, ministers are requesting 4.5 billion krooni (€288 million) more in funding to ease the 4 billion krooni (€256 million) deficit. All of the new proposals must be covered by cuts to make ends meet.

“I have never shared an opinion that meat loaf and potatoes are part of education and that the ministers’ children must have that on behalf of taxpayers,” Ligi said “In times of crisis it is clear that someone must be deprived in order to give more support to those in financial difficulties.”

There is dissension, however, within Ligi’s Reform Party about implementing such an unpopular measure. Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur said the Cabinet look likely to scuttle the idea.

“Those proposals made by the Ministry of Finance were not supported in that form,” Pevkur told Baltic Reports. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]students should have free meals at schools, but only selected students. The same scenario goes for student support, he said.

Free meals were adopted in 2006 when the country’s economy was on the rise.

The lunch cut would save 3.6 million krooni (€230,081) for the government each year. Currently the government supports all secondary school students by covering 11.15 krooni (€0.70) of their lunch meal each day.

Currently, students in state universities can apply for learning support which is 500-1500 krooni (€32-96) per month. Also, 1.2 billion krooni (€76.7 million) per year could be saved by reducing the number of people receiving child support and single parent support.

Ligi said that the finance minister’s role is to ensure the state’s fiscal survival and does not deal with issues like whether it will harm children.

“The society is whole and its purposes must be realized using the most effective methods,” Ligi told Baltic Reports.

According to Ligi, ministers are requesting 4.5 billion krooni (€288 million) more in funding to ease the 4 billion krooni (€256 million) deficit. All of the new proposals must be covered by cuts to make ends meet.

“I have never shared an opinion that meat loaf and potatoes are part of education and that the ministers’ children must have that on behalf of taxpayers,” Ligi said “In times of crisis it is clear that someone must be deprived in order to give more support to those in financial difficulties.”

There is dissension, however, within Ligi’s Reform Party about implementing such an unpopular measure. Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur said the Cabinet look likely to scuttle the idea.

“Those proposals made by the Ministry of Finance were not supported in that form,” Pevkur told Baltic Reports. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]students should have free meals at schools, but only selected students. The same scenario goes for student support, he said.

Free meals were adopted in 2006 when the country’s economy was on the rise.

The lunch cut would save 3.6 million krooni (€230,081) for the government each year. Currently the government supports all secondary school students by covering 11.15 krooni (€0.70) of their lunch meal each day.

Currently, students in state universities can apply for learning support which is 500-1500 krooni (€32-96) per month. Also, 1.2 billion krooni (€76.7 million) per year could be saved by reducing the number of people receiving child support and single parent support.

Ligi said that the finance minister’s role is to ensure the state’s fiscal survival and does not deal with issues like whether it will harm children.

“The society is whole and its purposes must be realized using the most effective methods,” Ligi told Baltic Reports.

According to Ligi, ministers are requesting 4.5 billion krooni (€288 million) more in funding to ease the 4 billion krooni (€256 million) deficit. All of the new proposals must be covered by cuts to make ends meet.

“I have never shared an opinion that meat loaf and potatoes are part of education and that the ministers’ children must have that on behalf of taxpayers,” Ligi said “In times of crisis it is clear that someone must be deprived in order to give more support to those in financial difficulties.”

There is dissension, however, within Ligi’s Reform Party about implementing such an unpopular measure. Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur said the Cabinet look likely to scuttle the idea.

“Those proposals made by the Ministry of Finance were not supported in that form,” Pevkur told Baltic Reports. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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