Former Minister of Transport and current Saeima deputy Kaspars Briškens (P) has been appointed Chairman of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental, and Regional Policy Committee, following a decision by Saeima deputies on Thursday.
Briškens will stand for the post of head of the commission, which is still to be voted on by the commission’s members.
Previously, the committee was led by Skaidrīte Ābrama (P), who will now serve on the Defence, Internal Affairs, and Corruption Prevention Committee, as well as the National Security Committee, focusing on military industry and anti-corruption issues, according to a statement from The Progressives.
The party highlighted that under Ābrama’s leadership, the Economic Committee actively worked on key legislative initiatives, including promoting renewable energy, enhancing consumer protection, and implementing sustainable policies.
“One of the most significant achievements was regulating the taxi industry at Riga Airport by introducing a maximum fare and a prepaid system to prevent passenger fraud,” the statement noted.
The Progressives also emphasized that during Ābrama’s tenure, the committee addressed government transparency and worked to reduce bureaucracy, ensuring more efficient use of resources.
As previously reported, Briškens lost his ministerial position after Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) announced a “government reset”, resulting in his dismissal as Minister of Transport.
On Thursday, Saeima confirmed Atis Švinka (P), a former Saeima deputy, as the new Minister of Transport.