Latvia won’t have and doesn’t need the kind of civil protection it used to have in the Soviet era, stressed Prime Minister Evika Siliņa during her meeting with President Edgars Rinkēvičs at Riga Caste on Wednesday, the 6th of March.
Nearly 300 applications for dual-use infrastructure objects have been submitted by eastern border municipalities for evaluation. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development has received 256 mobility project applications from municipalities for a total amount of EUR 1.27 billion, 106 project applications for more than EUR 250 million have been received for service infrastructure objects.
When asked how realistic it is to complete something like that, the PM said the minister of the interior has compiled priorities that can be submitted for financing from the European Union to facilitate refurbishment of shelters. The PM said that she expects clear signals in regards to the places in which people could take shelter if such a need arises.
According to Siliņa, the medium and long-term plan is to develop construction regulations for shelters, which are in the works.
The Ministry of Economy has until autumn to develop those regulations. The PM said she does not expect many enormous shelters will be built at some point.
“We need solutions now. This is why it is good that we have started working off clear standards in the medium-term perspective. We will assess the needs reported by municipalities. We need to know what worries municipalities have, what their needs are, and how much all of it will cost,” said the Latvian PM.
She said that sometimes municipalities notice problems that cannot be resolved on a state level. Siliņa said the government supported the report that suggests it is possible to compose a Crisis Management Centre under the State Chancellery’s authority.
“This will help develop an understanding with ministries and municipalities as to what we need to ensure civil protection. […] We need to work in accordance with new standards and principles. With gradual steps we will continue to show both municipalities and citizens that we are working on civil protection,” said Siliņa.
The president said he has not yet had an opportunity to study requests from municipalities. He said the list of needs is long – both the healthcare and defence sectors need additional money. The plan to raise the wages of people employed in the interior affairs sector requires additional funding as well. At the same time, residents want either reduced tax rates or reduced taxes.
“If we put everything together, we will see what our economy is like. We need to be realistic. […] This is about basements. There is no way to build shelters in a short period of time. This is why we need to look which basements or other premises can be adapted, what municipalities and the defence sector can do together with the State Fire and Rescue Service. Often clearing and maintaining a basement does not cost hundreds of thousands of euros. It does require time, however,” said the president.
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