The government lacks a clear, comprehensive vision to lower budget spending, said Saeima opposition party Combined List member Edvards Smiltēns in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
He said that, the Estonian government, for example, has made it clear it will perform an audit of expenses to lower budget spending by 10% in the next three years. In Latvia’s case, however, the government has yet to come up with a similar commitment.
“In principle, the government should also keep the promise made during the formation of this government – a zero budget. We are overgrown with a lot of features and spending that no longer meet today’s needs,” said the opposition deputy in his interview.
The Saeima deputy believes it is necessary to perform an audit in all state institutions to understand where it is possible to save money.
As one of the budget spending reduction opportunities, Smiltens mentioned the dissolution of councils in separate state and municipal capital companies.
The Parliamentarian believes that the councils of many state and municipal capital companies have turned into the feeds of persons close to politicians, which should not be allowed. The Saeima deputy believes that the councils of many state and municipal capital companies have turned into the feeding grounds for persons close to politicians, which should not be allowed.
As reported, at the end of September, the Saeima rejected the party’s invitation to liquidate the councils of state and municipal capital companies. At the same time, Saeima deputy Gatis Liepiņš from New Unity pointed out that the Saeima is already working on evaluating this issue.
The revenue of the state consolidated general budget was higher than expenditure in eight months this year, however, the Ministry of Finance forecasts that, traditionally, in the last months of the year, as expenditure grows faster in both the state budget and municipal budgets, the general budget will again develop a deficit.