The action group for reducing bureaucracy, formed by order of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa in March and coordinated by the Director of the State Chancellery Raivis Kronbergs, has presented 20 initiatives aimed at easing the administrative burden. BNN invited political analyst and co-owner of the company “Mediju tilts,” Filips Rajevskis, to assess the current progress.
Are 20 initiatives to reduce bureaucracy a lot or a little, and what benefit will they bring to Latvian society? Filips Rajevskis points out that the proposed changes are very practical. “They are not revolutionary and won’t change the entire world, but their strength lies in the fact that they can be implemented quickly and deliver tangible results. Also notable is the potential savings of approximately 40 million euros and the possibility of simplifying life with small changes at a relatively fast pace. In my opinion, that’s a good result for four weeks of work,” says the political analyst.
Asked why ministries and other state institutions have not previously implemented these or similar measures, even though it has always been within their competence, Rajevskis explains that the institutions likely needed a push to take such steps, and now that this push has been given, they may proceed not only with the recommended changes but possibly go even further.
The political analyst also emphasizes that this is not yet about job cuts, but rather about reducing and simplifying bureaucracy.
“In the first phase, there were three or four issues forwarded to the Saeima. The rest can be resolved at the Cabinet of Ministers level without involving parliament.” According to him, there will be a next phase dealing with more complex issues aimed at simplification. However, we should not expect this action group, which includes representatives from state institutions, businesses, and civil society organizations, to tackle state expenditure cuts. “That’s a different mandate, and these individuals are not in a position to make decisions about layoffs or budget reductions.”
Will we eventually see a reduction in the number of people working in various state institutions? Rajevskis believes that under certain conditions it will be inevitable. “If tax revenues drop significantly, reducing the number of public servants will also become unavoidable.”