Thursday, April 16, 2026

Headlines

public regulation

There was a regulated tariff for independent heat producers, but the deputies repealed this provision as insignificant

The Saeima faction of the party “New Unity” has prepared a draft amendment to the Energy Law in order to introduce a regulated tariff for independent heat energy producers in Riga, as this is expected to help reduce the heating tariff. This is evidenced by a post on the social network X by Saeima deputy Andris Kulbergs (United List), where he adds that he agrees that in this way partial improvements can be achieved. None of the politicians, however, has added that […]

Create a “crisis support center” for farmers in difficulty

To ensure timely and coordinated economic and legal advisory support for farmers in difficulty, close cooperation and effective information exchange between the institutions involved is necessary. Therefore, in order to provide crisis assistance to farmers in difficulty, the Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze has instructed the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC) to establish communication channels (telephone, e-mail, online form, in person) by 24 October. The latest […]

Greetings and thanks to Brussels

I wouldn’t want to be overly direct, but some things are too obvious to be hidden. So perhaps it’s better to be upfront already at the beginning of the article – this may protect from self-censorship later. The uncomfortable truth is this: the more laws Brussels adopts about data and digital life, the less sense it all makes. The data protection regulation, or GDPR, was at least a logical […]

For military-oriented startups, European money is becoming more accessible

For manufacturers of new or significantly improved dual-use – civil and military – products, access to European Union co-financing has been significantly facilitated. Start-ups could be especially grateful for these amendments. The relevant regulatory framework, developed by the Ministry of Economics, was approved by the government on 21 October. Until now, it was stipulated that, in order to apply for support for the development of new or significantly improved dual-use products, project […]

The “window” for taking out reckless loans is narrowing

Author someone else The Ministry of Economics has prepared amendments to the Regulations on information about payment obligations to be included in the credit information bureau database, which will reduce borrowers’ chances of obtaining a credit that they will later be unable to repay. The Cabinet of Ministers will review the Regulation on 21 October. The Ministry of Economics states that the draft regulation has been drawn up to improve consumer protection and prevent situations where lenders do not have access to all essential information on the consumer’s ability to repay […]

Signature collection starts for the “Latvenergo referendum”

The opposition party Latvia First has nevertheless achieved that the Central Election Commission has initiated signature collection in order, after gathering the required number, to hold a referendum intended to include in the constitution a prohibition on transferring large state-owned companies for privatization without the approval of the Saeima, the CEC informs. “Only and exclusively the Saeima may decide on the disposal of property assets significant to Latvia’s national economy, which are state shares […]

Stricter control will be imposed on the employment of third-country nationals

Observing what is happening in other European countries, the Ministry of the Interior has put forward several proposals on how to limit illegal immigration. One of them will make it more difficult for dishonest entrepreneurs to illegally employ third-country nationals – the person will be monitored, not the company. The current procedure stipulates that if a company commits violations in the field of employing foreigners, the ban on inviting third-country nationals to work is imposed on that specific company. […]

Valainis yields to retail chains: penalties for unfair commercial practices will not be increased, local producers will not be defended

Although the beginning of this year was marked by the grand plans of Minister of Economics Viktors Valainis to “put in their place” the large food retail chains, by the end of summer the plan has faded – the minister has given in to pressure from retailers and no longer intends to increase penalties for unfair commercial practices. At the end of last year, when presenting the plan to limit food retail prices, one of the action points of the Ministry of Economics […]

Construction workers want a higher minimum wage – 1155 euros

The Latvian Construction Sector Trade Union wants to increase the minimum wage in the sector by 10% – to 1,155.64 euros per month. The minimum wage set by law in the country is 740 euros per month. The trade union reminds that currently the minimum wage in the construction sector is determined by a general agreement that has been in force since 2019. At present, the general agreement stipulates a monthly minimum wage of 1,050 euros and an hourly rate of 6.29 […]

Accenture and Linde Gas – the fairest payers of remuneration in Latvia

The fairest remuneration in the small and medium-sized enterprise category is paid by Linde Gas, while in the large enterprise category it is paid by Accenture’s Latvian branch, according to the remuneration research and management consulting company Figure Baltic Advisory. The authors of the study point out that this year there has again been fierce competition, confirming that employers are paying increasing attention to fair remuneration. Several organizations rank among the payers of the fairest remuneration […]