Thursday, April 16, 2026

Headlines

market regulation

Maxima and Rimi suspected of a prohibited agreement

The Competition Council has identified indications of a prohibited agreement between the two largest food retail companies, which have apparently not acted independently and have mutually coordinated the sales prices of goods, negatively affecting consumer interests, the council reports. The Competition Council does not name the retailers, but the term “the two largest food retail companies” leaves not the slightest doubt that Maxima is under suspicion […]

The power of retailers over suppliers is decreasing

The Saeima’s Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee has put forward amendments to the Unfair Commercial Practices Prohibition Law. The Committee intends to prohibit retailers from unilaterally imposing sanctions on suppliers and to stipulate that the payment term for fresh vegetables and eggs must not exceed 20 days. The law amendments were drafted after the Competition Council, in relation to the Unfair Commercial Practices Prohibition Law […]

At Riga Central Market, rental fees have increased by up to 80%; home producers and local growers will suffer the most, and product price increases will follow

At the beginning of 2026, rental fees have increased for traders at the Riga Central Market, leaving tenants puzzled, Inc. learned at the central market. Checking the prices on the market’s homepage, it can be seen that rental fees for various points of sale increase differently from this year; however, the biggest rise has affected the gastronomy pavilion, where now as much as 79% more has to be paid. The “Rīgas nami” price list shows that the pricing for various […]

71.25% of DelfinGroup now belongs to INDEXO

Upon completion of the mandatory share buy-back offer, IPAS INDEXO will acquire a further 1,862,021 AS DelfinGroup shares, which is 4.09% of the total voting share capital of DelfinGroup. As a result of the share purchase, INDEXO will acquire 1,765,588 DelfinGroup shares, or 3.88% of the company’s capital, while as a result of the share exchange, INDEXO will acquire an additional 96,433 DelfinGroup shares, or 0.21% of the company’s capital. The mandatory share buy-back offer was made following the voluntary […]

Cēsis residents are allowed to take over the Valmiermuiža brewery

The Competition Council has approved the merger of SIA Valmiermuižas alus and AS Cēsu alus. With this decision, the accession of Valmiermuižas alus to the Cēsu alus group of companies will be completed within the next month, Valmiermuižas alus informs. It has already been reported that, for the Competition Council to make its decision, it needed the opinion of industry representatives. Taking into account the council’s decision, it can be concluded that the industry had no significant objections […]

Matryoshkas may not be sold only at the Central Market; at the Town Hall Square – they may.

Matryoshkas, or nested wooden dolls that were targeted late last year by Riga’s Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks, have disappeared from Riga Central Market but are freely available in souvenir shops right under the nose of Riga City Council. Inc. confirmed this on site after a market vendor drew attention to this injustice. She complained that the municipal leadership “has nothing to do and only knows how to deal with […]

“Stiga RM” new employees could have conflicts of interest; a loophole in the law allows the Anti-Corruption Bureau not to assess and not to establish them

At the beginning of this year, longtime deputy director for wood product sales at AS Latvijas Valsts meži (LVM), Andris Meirāns, changed jobs. Mr. Meirāns held a responsible position: he developed auction and pricing rules and regulations, effectively determining what, to whom, for how much, and under what conditions LVM would sell and deliver timber. For this responsible work Mr. Meirāns was accordingly […]

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 […]

A new exchange in the electricity market promises greater competition

Transmission system operators (TSOs) of the Baltics, together with partners, have implemented a solution that allows multiple power exchanges to operate in the market, informs AS Augstsprieguma tīkls (AST). Competition between power exchanges will provide benefits to market participants by ensuring a wider range of options and better services. On 25 November, a new operator – EPEX SPOT – will start operating in the day-ahead market in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. […]

The Competition Council imposes a fine of 1.8 million euros on a retailer – it is reportedly not RIMI

The Competition Council has imposed a fine of 1.8 million euros on one of the largest food retail companies for unfair trading practices. It is said not to be RIMI. For now, the CC is not providing more detailed information; this will be done at the press conference scheduled for Thursday, 6 November. RIMI public relations representative Inga Bite, in a conversation with Inc., denied that the fine had been imposed on this retail chain. Meanwhile, with Maxima’s public […]