エストニア経済ニュース

●財務省経済予測：本年成長率＋2％
Instead of the 3.6 percent proclaimed earlier, the state now only expects two percent of GDP growth this year. However, in the main scenario, Ministry of Finance does not consider the current events in Ukraine – the chief risk factor. The reason the ministry altered economic growth forecast is Estonia’s near neighbours, whose economic growth outlooks have darkened. That, in turn, has postponed the acceleration of export growth and investment activity growth earlier expected.
（Postimees.ee, April 8, 2014）
 

●大学卒業率：43．7％
Eurostat: 43.7 per cent of people in Estonia have a higher education. Based on Eurostat data, in Estonia 58.7 per cent of women had received higher education and 33.1 per cent of men.
(Postimees, page 4, April 12, 2014)
 

●第4世代携帯システム使用率：11％
Number of 4G internet users increases. All Estonian mobile service providers have covered Estonia with 4G network, yet only 11 per cent use it. This figure is expected to increase. In the world the South-Koreans use the most 4G network, followed by Japan and Australia.
(Postimees, page 9, April 12, 2014)
 

●エストニア人，ヨウジヤマモト・ブランドをデザイン
Award winning Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto cooperates with Estonian knitting designer Ragne Kikas. Kikas joined the Japanese fashion house in 2012 and her work was first shown in Paris last year. Kikas praises the work environment in Japan because among other things the Japanese work in silence.
(Postimees, Arter, pages 30-31, April 12, 2014)
 

●ロシア自然コスメ，エストニアで生産へ
Natura Siberica opened a factory to produce natural cosmetics from Saaremaa island plants. Owner of Eurobio Lab Andrei Trubnikov from Moscow chose Estonia as a location as it allows lowering the price of cosmetics sold to Europe by one-fifth. The aim is to produce 500 different products.
(Postimees, pages 8-9, April 14, 2014)
 

●新車販売台数，バルトで1位
Estonia leads the car sales ranking in the Baltics. Estonian car sales increased in the I quarter annually by 1.9 per cent and in total 5522 new vehicles were registered. Total sales in the Baltics increased 12.9 per cent with 12,822 newly registered vehicles.
(Äripäev, page 3, April 14, 2014)
 

●不動産価格，EUで最高の上昇率
Apartment prices in Tallinn and Tartu are back at the economic boom level. In the EU Estonian real estate prices have increased the most with 15.6 per cent, reports Eurostat.
(Eesti Päevaleht, page 19, April 15, 2014)
 

●シッラマエ港がウストルガ（ロシア）との旅客フェリーを計画
Port of Sillamäe plans passenger transport to Port of Ust-Luga, Russia. As the ferry line carrying trucks and cars between Ust-Luga has been successful, now passenger transport is considered.
(Äripäev, page 8, April 15, 2014)
 

●ランジェリー・ブランド，日本等16カ国に輸出
Estonian designer Kriss Soonik Loungerie targets US and Asian markets. Kriss Soonik based in London sells her products to 16 countries, including Japan, France, UK, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Soonik says that entering the US market has been easier, but in Japan there has been a language barrier as locals do not speak English and she has to communicate via an interpreter. In regards to expanding to China, Soonik says she is worried about being copied. Soonik noted that this has already occurred in America and Japan, but in general threatening with a court case is enough to stop it.
(Äripäev, page 10, April 15, 2014)
 

●日本車販売好調
Road Administration reported that a new car sales record of the past six years was made in March with 1699 new vehicles. Most sold vehicles were Honda CRV, Škoda Octavia and Nissan Qashqai.
(Eesti Päevaleht, page 9, April 16, 2014)
 

●フェイスブック，TransferWise社に関心
Facebook is interested in Estonian start-up TransferWise. Financial Times writes that popular social network Facebook has discussed potential partnerships with at least three money transfer services online and via smartphones, which includes also TransferWise, a company created by Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann. The latter two refused to comment on the talks.
(Äripäev, page 6, April 16, 2014)
 

●バルト最大の航空機整備施設がオープン
The biggest airplane maintenance complex in the Baltics was opened in Tallinn Airport. Business airplane company Panaviatic will start renting the complex from the state company.  The total investments cost € 5 million. Panaviatic’s owner is Russian businessman Andrei Žukov.
(Äripäev, page 9, April 16, 2014)
 

●教師向けICT研修センターがオープン
University of Tartu opens a modern education centre today. The aim is to teach current teachers and future teachers how to use ICT in their teaching.
(Eesti Päevaleht, page 1, April 22, 2014)
 

●3月生産者物価：前年同月比－2．6％
Decrease in the producer price index of industrial output continued in March. According to Statistics Estonia, in March 2014, the producer price index of industrial output changed by -0.9 per cent compared to February 2014 and annually by -2.6 per cent. Compared to March 2013, the index was more than average influenced by a decrease in prices in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply and in the manufacture of electronic equipment but also by an increase in prices in the manufacture of wood products.
(Äripäev, pages 10-11, April 22, 2014)
 

●シンガポール，エストニアのICT部門を視察
Singapore is interested in Estonian ICT sector. Singapore’s trade and industrial ministry delegation led by trade undersecretary Lee Ark Boon will be in Estonia on April 22-23. Meetings will take place with the Economy Ministry’s undersecretaries Ahti Kuningas and Taavi Kotka, Kristi Tiivas from Enterprise Estonia, and others.
(Äripäev, page 11, April 22, 2014)
 

●シンガポール系製紙企業，2億ユーロ投資
Horizon Pulp and Paper company wishes to invest € 200 million. The firm located in Kehra and owned by Tolaram Group with Singaporean origin plans investing € 200 million in the next seven years to triple its production. When currently it produces 70,000 tons of kraft paper, in seven years it will be 200,000 tons. Yesterday Tolaram Group representatives from Estonia, Singapore, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ghana and India also met with Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas.
(Äripäev, page 3, April 24, 2014)
 

●世界最大の警備会社，サポートセンターをエストニアに設置
G4S will bring service center to Estonia. The world's leading security services provider G4S has decided to move its European support and service center to Estonia. It will reach full capacity inside two years, create around 100 new jobs and contribute up to € 1 million in taxes every year. The service center will be located in the company's Tallinn office and will handle accounting, IT services, procurements and human resources management for G4S in 26 countries. Member of the board of G4S Estonia, Artjom Sokolov, said that Estonia's advantages include transparency, protection of investors, stable business and political environment, good language proficiency of employees, and sensible level of salaries.
(Äripäev, page 1, 4-5, April 29, 2014)
 

●企業設立件数，3年間で最多
New companies are created in Estonia in record speed. In the I quarter of 2014, 3335 more new limited liability companies were registered in Estonia, which is the quickest growth in the past three years. Number of companies in total has doubled within eight years.
(Äripäev, page 17, April 30, 2014)
 

●3月小売：前年同月比＋5％
Growth in retail sector continued. According to Statistics Estonia, in March 2014 the retail sales of goods of retail trade enterprises increased annually by 5 per cent at constant prices. In March 2014, the retail sales of goods of retail trade enterprises were € 385.4 million, which was 294 €/inhabitant. A higher than average increase occurred in stores selling textiles, clothing and footwear (32% growth) and in stores selling household goods and appliances, hardware and building materials (13% growth). Construction materials and garden supplies salesmen see an increase in consumers’ confidence.
(Äripäev, pages 8-9, May 2, 2014)
 

●IT業界で女性が活躍
A growing number of women work in IT in Estonia. For instance, Aet Rahe heads Department of State Information Systems at the Economy Ministry and has also worked in private sector, e.g. in a reputable software company Nortal.
(Postimees, Arter, pages 12-14, May 3, 2014)
 

●Swedbank 銀行，ネットバンキング普及のため支店を閉鎖
Swedbank closes every fifth branch. Swedbank announced that it will close 10 regional service bureaus this year as more and more people do their banking online in Estonia. Branch offices will be replaced with ATM machines with extra stops added on the bank bus route. Head of retail banking Ulla Illison said the number of clients who visit bank offices has been cut in half inside the past three years. Swedbank's offices handle only 0.4 per cent of all banking transactions and 2 per cent of cash transactions.
(Eesti Päevaleht, page 4, May 3, 2014)
 

●国産人工衛星打ち上げ1周年
Estonian student satellite EstCube-1 has been in space for a year. The first Estonia’s satellite has been 5600 times around the Earth and sent 180 photos. It is expected to test a novel electric solar wind sail soon. Students from the University of Tartu, the Estonian Aviation Academy, Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Life Sciences took part in the project that is led by researchers from Tartu Observatory and the University of Tartu.
(Postimees, pages 6-7, May 7, 2014)
 

●エストニアと関係のある外国人にIDカードを発行
Government passed e-residents concept. The government approved the longstanding idea of issuing ID cards to foreigners. It would give foreigners the opportunity to better handle business activity in Estonia. Economy ministry undersecretary Taavi Kotka said that even though ID cards would make it possible to identify people electronically, a foreigner's ID card would not give them access to the legal protection system. Kotka added that the instrument will be a benefit as opposed to a right, and that should the person abuse that benefit, it will be revoked. Estonian ID cards would make it easy for foreign entrepreneurs to set up companies and open bank accounts in Estonia, use the country's fully digital tax system and highly developed online banking. The internal ministry is prepared to issue the first ID cards at the end of this year provided the Riigikogu passes corresponding legislation by fall. The aim is to give 10 million foreigners Estonian e-IDs by 2025.
(Postimees, page 8, May 7, 2014)
 

●OECD：エストニアの本年成長率1．4％
OECD spring outlook expects Estonian GDP growth to be 1.4 per cent in 2014 and 3.1 per cent in 2015. The growth is expected to come from increased internal consumption.
(Äripäev, page 6, May 7, 2014)
 

●新車販売，経済危機前の水準に回復
Car sales are close to boom times. The sale of vehicles has increased so much that it is close to pre-crisis level. In April the annual increase was 4 per cent with total 1990 new cars sold. In four months 6726 new vehicles have been sold, which is 2 per cent annual increase. Toyota was most sold car.
(Äripäev, page 10, May 7, 2014)
 

●家賃高騰
Central bank: rent prices increased by 14 per cent in a year. Rent prices have increased already for three years in a row and in 2011-2012 rent fees increased quicker than household sales deals.
(Eesti Päevaleht, page 8, May 9, 2014)
 

●輸出，10年間で160％増加
Ericsson Eesti AS clearly leads the ranking of Estonian exporters. Estonia’s export has increased within a decade by 160 per cent. The biggest exporters are companies Ericsson Eesti, NT Marine, VKG Oil, PKC Eesti, Stora Enso, and ABB. Also Toyota Baltic is in the top 20 ranking at 14th place with its sale of cars and small buses. Five countries make up 60 per cent of Estonian export, i.e. Sweden, Finland, Russia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Export to Japan fell compared to 2012 in 2013 and was in total worth € 64.9 million. Surprisingly in 2013 export increased to Arab countries and to Angola and Ghana in Africa.
(Äripäev, pages 4-7, May 9, 2014)
 

●米誌：エストニアは次のシリコンバレー
Estonia could be the new Silicon Valley. US economic magazine Fast Company wrote that many claim to be the next Silicon Valley, but four countries, including Estonia, leave Silicon Valley in their tracks. Estonia is so innovative country that it is nicknamed E-stonia, it has free Wi-Fi as a norm, its government deemed Internet access a basic human right, it was the first country to offer voting for general elections online and most Estonians file their taxes within minutes on their mobile phones.
(Äripäev, page 3, May 9, 2014)
 

●EU最大の木造家屋輸出国
Estonia exports most wooden houses in Europe. The export volume of Estonian wooden houses increased annually by 7.9 per cent in 2013 and total volume amounted to € 202.4 million.
(Äripäev, page 13, May 12, 2014)