Over the course of next two years the payments for energy resources of many universities in Latvia will have tripled. This is why support from the state is needed, as mentioned in the letter sent by Latvian Association of Universities (LUA) to highest ranking officials and ministries in Latvia.
According to principal of Riga Stradins University (RSU), LUA board chairman Aigars Pētersons, in 2023 his university’s costs for heating energy and electricity will be 346% higher when compared to 2021. For Riga Technical University the increase is estimated at 306%.
For the University of Latvia, excluding institutions under its subordination and supervision and capital associations, the increase of electricity and heating energy costs at the most optimistic scenario is expected to reach 299%, for Daugavpils University it will be 300%, for Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Liepaja University it will be 266%.
Increasing costs present a very serious influence on budgets of universities in Latvia, stressed Pētersons.
Universities turned to ministries for assistance, but the responses they received were with rejections.
Because of this they decided to send letters to the president and prime minister.
Education institutions report having plans to implement energy austerity measures. However, the volume of finances saved from these measures will not match the rise of energy resource prices. It is not expected to secure complete coverage of related costs. LUA also mentions the growing influence of inflation and the residual negative influence left on the quality of the education process by Covid-19 pandemic.
LUA requests adding state-founded universities on the list of recipients of state support to help compensate growing costs and overcome the crisis.