Thursday, April 16, 2026

Headlines

latvia

The financial burden is being shifted by buyers of vegetables, fruits and berries onto the suppliers

The Competition Council (KP) has completed market supervision regarding the practice of applying payment deadlines in the supply chain of fresh fruit, vegetables and berries in Latvia, concluding that buyers use their economic market power and apply unjustifiably long payment deadlines, shifting the financial burden onto suppliers. Several infringement cases have been initiated. The main objective of the market supervision was to carry out an in-depth analysis of the practice of applying payment deadlines in the trade of perishable […]

What you need to know about changes in laws and regulations in 2026

Greater support for residents, including families with children, a reduced value added tax rate for certain food products, simplified implementation of small-scale construction projects, the introduction of a unified building registration service, improved queue management for medical examinations – these and other changes will affect the daily lives of Latvia’s residents starting from 2026, the Cabinet of Ministers reports. Support for families From 1 January 2026 […]

At the end of the year, the number of fraudulent calls has quadrupled

The free security solution for combating phone fraud provided by the electronic communications and ICT service provider Bite Latvia blocked almost 660 thousand fraudulent calls in the fourth quarter of this year alone, which is four times more than in the same period last year, reaching the highest intensity level so far. Meanwhile, in the digital environment cybercriminals attack every third mobile device, as recorded by the company’s security service Antivīruss Plus. As […]

Potential not yet discovered

In recent years, Lithuanian business turnover in Latvia has become more noticeable. Data show that investments by entrepreneurs from neighboring countries in companies in Latvia, and the turnover of these companies, grow faster precisely during crises. In just the two years of Covid-19, the turnover of companies in Latvia owned by Lithuanians increased by 56%. But how are Latvians doing in the neighboring country? It was a sunny day in July when my colleague and I, delighted about […]

BlockBen will issue the first cryptocurrency in Latvia

The financial technology company BlockBen, which very recently received a license from the Bank of Latvia to provide crypto-asset services, will issue the first patented cryptocurrency CrowdX in Latvia and the European Union for the crowdfunding service provider SIA CrowdedHero. This cooperation marks a new era for blockchain-based crowdfunding in the European Union, since in Latvia no such token has been issued so far – neither before nor after […]

The war in Ukraine – not only devastation, but also a business opportunity

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has created for Latvia not only a substantial challenge in increasing its military capabilities, but also the necessary conditions for our military industry to develop rapidly. The company Belss and its owner Tālis Ziediņš seem to have been the best prepared for this turn of events and are now reaping the fruits of 30 years of work since the company’s founding. At present, Belss and its partner Eraser’s drones […]

How an industry dies out

The amendments to the Carriers Law adopted eight years ago, which were supposed to regulate ride-sharing, have ended in failure, and the situation in the taxi sector has now reached critical mass. Since 2019, the number of issued taxi license cards has halved, the VAT paid to the state, despite inflation, has not changed, and the amendments to the law have not achieved their goal. Instead, the once regulated taxis (with yellow […]

1 of 1000: An innovative Latvian technology company joins a prestigious European programme

The Latvian innovation startup SIA P-Agro Minerals was the only company from Latvia to be included in the European Commission’s Women TechEU programme, where only 40 out of 1107 applicants received funding of 75,000 euros – surpassing the 4% success threshold. Women TechEU is a two-year European Union funded initiative that supports women – founders and managers of knowledge-intensive companies across Europe. The aim of the programme is to create gender […]

Insurer BTA’s profit in nine months has reached 9.66 million euros

The non-life insurer BTA Baltic Insurance Company (BTA), which operates with branches in Lithuania and Estonia, posted a profit of 9.664 million euros in the first nine months of this year, which is 6.2% more than in the corresponding period last year, according to the information published by the company. In gross insurance premiums, BTA signed a total of 262.874 million euros in the Baltics in the first nine months of 2025, which is 9.9% more […]

3.5 million contraband cigarettes discovered on the Belarus border

Officials of the State Revenue Service (VID) Customs Board, while carrying out customs controls on Latvia’s border with Belarus, in cooperation with colleagues from the Tax and Customs Police Board, prevented the smuggling of 3,502,000 cigarettes. The cigarettes were hidden in sealed metal buckets, under sawdust that had been poured into them instead of the declared goods – hand-washing products. In total, the cargo contained 175,100 packs of various brands of cigarettes. […]