President Alar Karis has proclaimed three acts dealing with the extension of the validity of reduced excise duty rates, entry into more flexible employment contracts in retail trade and electronic communications.
The updated Act of Amendment of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act and other acts extends by one year the validity period of the reduction of the excise duty rates for electricity and some fuel types enforced on 1 May 2020 so that the reduced excise duty rates will remain in force until 30 April 2023. Furthermore, from 1 May 2023 a four-year period will commence of gradual restoration of fuel and electricity excise duties to the pre-crisis level. This will allow the private sector and individual consumers to adjust slowly to the rising prices.
The Act of Amendment of the Employment Contracts Act and the Taxation Act will allow parties in the retail trade sector to enter into more flexible contracts of employment. The new regulation relies on a goodwill agreement between the Estonian Trade Union of Service and Trade Employees, the Estonian Traders’ Association, the Estonian Trade Union Confederation, the Estonian Employers’ Confederation and the Ministry of Social Affairs from April this year and introduces agreements with variable working hours in retail trade.
The Act of Amendment of the Electronic Communications Act, the Building Code and the State Fees Act ensures compliance of the Electronic Communications Act with the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the European Electronic Communications Code. The update will ensure more detailed pre-contract information and a contract summary for increased communications contract transparency. Furthermore, requirements concerning communications networks and services will be clarified to ensure national security. Threats to national security in the context of hardware or software usage authorisation proceedings will be assessed by security organisations and the Information System Authority. A communications company is obligated by law to apply for a permit for hardware or software usage in the communications network from the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.
