According to PM-apparent Petteri Orpo (NCP), the new government's programme could be completed on Wednesday. Orpo said on Tuesday morning that there had been progress but noted that in politics a single small issue can sometimes take time to resolve.
The National Coalition Party leader said that the government platform will be long, detailed and aimed at ensuring policy changes.
He spoke to the press at the House of Estates in Helsinki's Kruununhaka neighbourhood before the leaders of the four parties sought to resolve the last outstanding questions after more than six weeks of talks. Joining the NCP in the talks are the Finns Party, the Swedish Peoples' Party (SPP) and the Christian Democrats.
On Monday Orpo said negotiators had made significant progress on various controversial issues, including international development cooperation funds and the biofuel requirement for transport fuels.
Purra: Higher fuel costs could be offset in taxes
Riikka Purra, chair of the Finns Party, confirmed that an agreement on the biofuel distribution obligation was close.
"The details of the model are still being worked out, but yesterday things moved forward and an agreement is quite close. In taxation, compensation for the distribution obligation is the biggest issue. If it can be solved in an optimal way, other tax solutions can be found," she said.
The gradually rising share of biofuels is expected to raise the price of petrol and diesel, a hot-button issue for the party's largely provincial voter base.
The extent to which development cooperation funds will be cut remains on the table, as it has been for quite a long time, Purra said. The SPP has opposed such cuts.
According to Purra, the four party leaders will work "around the clock" until the most difficult remaining disputes are resolved.
"The biggest questions related to social and healthcare service finances were solved yesterday, but today we will continue working on that," said Purra.
"There are still major issues to be approved at the chairs' table. When the whole economic and tax package, social security and development cooperation are resolved, then I guess that's it," she told reporters.
Purra agreed that it is possible that the government agenda will be completed by Wednesday.
"But everything can't be agreed on until everything is ready. Each party will then study the entire government programme," she said.
The NCP and the Finns Party are two largest in the new Parliament that was sworn in two months ago. They have 48 and 46 seats respectively in the 200-seat chamber, followed by outgoing PM Sanna Marin's SDP with 43 seats and the soon-to-be opposition Centre with 28 seats.
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