Thursday, April 16, 2026

Headlines

public regulation

Altum could start issuing regional “Vainis’ loans” as early as this year: immigrants will also be eligible to apply

“Active preparatory work is currently underway, but it is planned that the new application program will be opened at the end of October or the beginning of November,” Altum head Reinis Bērziņš told Inc. Until then, the program regulations still have to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Loans will be available to natural persons who are at least 18 years old and to those who, at the time of the final loan repayment, will not have exceeded the age of 65. […]

On the issue of gender balance, entrepreneurs can breathe a sigh of relief: It could cost the state hundreds of thousands

Ensuring gender equality in the management of two Latvian companies will still not become a mandatory requirement. A majority in the Saeima has, for the second time, rejected the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Welfare on ensuring gender balance in the management bodies of capital companies. For the companies, this of course allows them to breathe a sigh of relief, but for Latvia it may cost a few hundred thousand euros. According to the criteria included in the draft law, at present it would apply only to two […]

In several ministries, saving is not mandatory: the reduction of expenses is a fiction

Contrary to the plan this spring to cut ministry expenses by a mere 150 million per year, it turns out that even this is not mandatory for all ministries. For example, in the ministries headed by the “Progressives”, there will be almost no savings at all. The exact reason for such leniency is not known, but an Inc. source at the Ministry of Finance admits – this was the coalition’s agreement. However, it should begin with a reminder – Inc. […]

State budget: in ten years there has not once even been a planned reduction of budget expenditures

Over the past ten years, the state budget has never once included a planned reduction in expenditures, and the government has also never been able to plan the budget realistically. Every year the state has spent 1.5 to 3.6 billion euros more than was planned when preparing and adopting the state budget, according to data from the Saeima, the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury. The Cabinet of Ministers has now once again […]

Riga City Council is delaying the delivery of the harvest to the port: Officials are not heeding even the call of the President of the State

Despite the fact that the Cabinet of Ministers has declared a state of emergency in agriculture, the Riga City Council, contrary to the usual procedure so far, has rejected the request of the Farmers’ Saeima to allow heavy vehicles carrying grain and rapeseed to the Port of Riga to move along designated routes around the clock. Officials performing various control functions have also not heeded the President’s call not to disturb farmers with their presence at this time. The Farmers’ Saeima […]

Those living next to aggressor states want a special law for themselves: Without it, the border region will die out

A special law to ensure the operation of municipalities in the eastern border area is not only to be supported, but is necessary. This is the view of the heads of the borderland municipalities. The idea of the need for such a law was put forward by the Chairman of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, Gints Kaminskis. He acknowledged that people, of course, live throughout Latvia, but in the border area one has to face enormous challenges in providing services. In addition, the specifics of the region must also be taken into account […]

Owners of the military industry are not being anonymized yet: The government’s decision took 17 months

After 17 months of bureaucratic activity, the Cabinet of Ministers has criticized and rejected the initiative of the Saeima Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee to anonymize the board members and beneficial owners of the Ministry of Defence’s strategic partners, yet has not offered its own solution for their protection. The head of the responsible committee, Raimonds Bergmanis, believes that entrepreneurs in the military industry who have concluded supply contracts with the Ministry of Defence […]

An employee will be able to leave without notice if the salary is delayed by two weeks: severance pay will have to be paid

An employee whose salary payment is delayed by at least two weeks will be able to terminate the employment contract immediately with the right to receive severance pay, according to amendments to the Labour Law that have reached the Cabinet of Ministers. Although the amendments still have to be examined by the Saeima, this is one of the planned changes on which there is conditional consensus, namely, both trade union representatives and employers have managed to agree on it […]

Process over everything: after year-long discussions, the ministry submits a different draft law version for consideration

For almost a year, ministries and social partners discussed amendments to the Labour Law, but the Ministry of Welfare is bringing to the government meeting a previously unseen version of the draft law. For almost a year, ministries and social partners gathered in the Human Capital Development Council (CAP) to agree on amendments to the Labour Law. A compromise agreement was reached, but the Minister of Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks (ZZS) has submitted a completely different, previously […] for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers (MK).

Unsound solidarity; in the 1st quarter, Latvian commercial banks have paid over 30 million euros into the state budget

In the first quarter of this year, according to the Solidarity Contribution Law, Latvian commercial banks have paid more than 30 million euros into the state budget. Swedbank has paid the most and, objecting to this regulation, has appealed to the Constitutional Court. The annual reports of Latvian banks show that banks tried to increase their loan portfolios already last year, when the government spent the whole year discussing the Solidarity Contribution Law and adopted it at the end of the year […]