Jürgen Ligi

Minister of Finance of the Republic of Estonia from 23 July 2024.

Jürgen Ligi was born on 16 July 1959 in Tartu. He is married and a father of two. Ligi joined the Estonian Reform Party in 1994 and is the vice-chair of the party.

Career

• 2016–2024 Member of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Riigikogu, Chair of the State Budget Control Select Committee (2016-2021), Chair of the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee (2021–2022; 2023–2024), and Chair of the Study Committee on the Development of Estonian Language Instruction (2022–2023)
• 2016 Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 2015–2016 Minister of Education and Research
• 2014–2015 Member of the 12th Riigikogu, Chair of the National Defence Committee
• 2009–2014 Minister of Finance
• 2007–2009 Member of the 11th Riigikogu, Chair of the Finance Committee
• 2005–2007 Minister of Defence
• 1995–2007 Member of the 8th, 9th, and 10th Riigikogu
• 1993–1995 Head of EVEA Bank, Kuressaare Branch Office
• 1992–1993 Economic Adviser at Kaarma Rural Municipality Government
• 1990–1991 Head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saaremaa Department
• 1989–1990 Chief Specialist at Saaremaa Agro-Industrial Association
• 1982–1989 Economist at the Estonian SSR State Planning Committee, Institute of Planning

Education

Jürgen Ligi graduated from the University of Tartu in 1982 with a degree in geography and completed a degree in international economics at the University of Tartu in 1993. He also studied business management at the Estonian Business School in 1993–1995.

Awards and recognition

In 2011, the President of the Republic awarded Jürgen Ligi the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class. In 2013, he was awarded the Grand Cross of Commander of the Order for Merits to the Republic of Lithuania and the Great Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Other

Member of the Supervisory Board of the Eesti Pank in 2021–2022.
His hobbies are sports and reading.

About the job of the Minister of Finance

The Minister of Finance chairs the Ministry of Finance in their area of responsibility. The Minister of Finance is responsible for the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, Statistics Estonia, the Estonian Auditors’ Association, the Guarantee Fund, public limited company Eesti Energia, public limited company Eesti Loto, and AS Levira.

The minister is appointed and released from office by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the prime minister. The minister will assume office by taking an oath of office before the Riigikogu.

• The Minister of Finance is the head of public finances, coordinating the fiscal policy of the state and its budgetary and tax policies.
• The Minister of Finance directs the work of the Ministry of Finance in the areas of government financial policy, national budgetary policy, tax and customs policy, economic analysis and forecasting, national statistics, auditing, the management of the state’s financial assets and liabilities, foreign aid to the state, and loans. In addition, the minister reports to the Government of the Republic on the activities of the Ministry of Finance and submits proposals for decisions on matters concerning the ministry’s area of governance.
• The Minister of Finance appoints the heads of the government agencies under the ministry’s area of governance and the deputy secretary generals and heads of the departments of the ministry.
• The scope of competence of the Minister of Finance includes making proposals for the approval of the amount of dividends to be paid to the state budget by state-owned companies and companies in which the state has decision-making power and making proposals to the Government of the Republic for the approval of the amount to be transferred to the state budget from the net profit of the State Forest Management Centre.
• The Minister of Finance submits proposals to the government on the budget of the ministry and, if necessary, on the supplementary budget. The minister also decides on the use of budgetary resources and monitors the implementation of the budget. On the basis of the national budget, the minister also approves the budgets of the government agencies under the ministry’s area of governance.
• The Minister of Finance decides on the establishment of the government agencies managed by the ministry and approves their statutes, structure, and work organisation.