This week talks about discontinuing the use of Covid-19 certificates commenced in Latvia, at least in relation to jobs. The reason is because the spread of the infection among vaccinated people is rather high, rendering the certificates, according to some residents, more or less useless.
Lithuania, on the other hand, has already decided to temporarily discontinue the use of Covid-19 certificates. Estonia has announced plans to do the same if the workload of hospitals does not increase because of Covid-19.
A long-awaited event took place in Latvia this week – packaging deposit system came online. Finally! It is unfortunate, however, that Latvia is behind its neighbours in this regard, as Estonia and Lithuania had adopted this system years ago. Another unfortunate fact is that the new system will not accept plastic bottles produced before it came online.
This week the National Acoustic Concert Hall Development Committee picked a location for the new concert hall – Riga Congress Centre.
BNN gives you a summery of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Concert hall; Border; Long-awaited; Digitalgate; Money laundering; Covid certificate; Fuel prices.
CONCERT HALL
Committee picks Riga Congress Centre as location for National Concert Hall
Photo: Zane Bitere/LETAThe Development Committee in charge of the Latvian National Acoustic Concert Hall has agreed to pick Riga Congress Centre as the location for the concert hall, as reported by Ministry of Culture Public Relations Office manager Lita Kokale.
Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis said the acoustic concert hall project in Riga is a major priority for him. Its implementation is also detailed in the government’s declaration.
«The development committee’s decision will be the third attempt of our current government to implement this project. However, let’s remember Rainis’ play Golden Horse motifs – it’s inspirational! The ministry plans to submit the project to the Cabinet of Ministers soon,» adds the minister.
More here
BORDER
Latvian government extends state of emergency on Belarusian border
Photo: State ChancelleryConsidering the tense situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border, the government decided on Tuesday, 1 February, to extend the state of emergency in Ludza, Krāslava, Augšdaugava and Daugavpils until 10 May.
The Ministry of the Interior mentions that between August 2021 and 20 January 2022 a total of 4 962 people have been deterred from illegally crossing the country’s border.
The number of illegal border crossers has increased since December 2021 and since then Latvian authorities have denied access to the country to 2 043 persons.
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LONG-AWAITED
Packaging deposit system comes online in Latvia today. How does it work?
Photo: Evija Trifanova/LETA1 February 2022 marks the opening of 1 350 beverage packaging collection places in Latvia. Using this service Latvian residents will be able to return empty glass, plastic (PET) and metal (cans) beverage packaging marked with a special Latvian deposit label, reminds Depozīta iepakojuma operators.
By the end of the transition period (31 July) the total number of deposit places is planned to exceed 1 500. Store shelves will be filled with compatible products gradually. Only specially labelled beverages will be released to the market from May onward.
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DIGITALGATE
Prosecutor will likely submit protest over first instance verdict in Digitalgate criminal case
Prosecutor Monvīds Zelčs. Photo: Edijs Pālens/LETAProsecutor Monvīds Zelčs will likely submit a protest over the verdict issued by the court of first instance, which provided all of the accused in the so-called second digital television criminal case with a full acquittal.
On Monday, 31 January, Zelčs told journalists that first of all he intends to wait for the full verdict, because he does not aware of the court’s arguments.
Judge Kaspars Vecozols of the Court of Economic Affairs told journalists after presenting the verdict that LLC Tet (prev. Lattelecom) is one potential victim. However, the company has not applied for victim status in the criminal case. Both former and current officials interviewed so far has testified there were not misled and neither was the contract signed under false pretenses, adding that no damages to society were caused.
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MONEY LAUNDERING
UK freezes millions of Azerbaijani Laundromat money allegedly gone via Baltic states
Photo: PixabayUK authorities have announced the freezing millions of British pounds of allegedly laundered money linked to Azerbaijan’s ruling elite that is suspected of having passed through Estonia and Latvia.
The British National Crime Agency announced on Monday, January 31, that financial investigators secured a Forfeiture Order for GBP 5.6million (EUR 6.7) in UK bank accounts belonging to family members of Javanshir Feyziyev. The man is a serving member of the Azerbaijan parliament, Chair of the UK-Azerbaijan All Parliamentary Co-operation Committee, and Co-chair of the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Co-operation Committee.
The total amount ordered for forfeiture by British authorities, out of the GBP 15.3 million (18.39) initially frozen in the bank accounts, was GBP 5,630,994 (EUR 6 766 653).
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COVID CERTIFICATE
Lithuania decides to stop use of Covid-19 certificate at 12,278 new cases
Photo: 15min.lt/SCANPIXThe Lithuanian government decided to stop the rule of requiring the country’s national, digital Covid-19 certificate – the opportunity passport – for the public to enter shops, restaurants and other indoor public spaces. On Wednesday, February 2, Lithuania also registered its highest number of new Covid-19 infections – 12,278 – in one day.
Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reports, that the document that has been in effect since spring 2021 as a way to prove a person’s immunity against Covid-19 after full vaccination or recovery from the disease will not be valid from Saturday, February 5.
According to the government, Covid-19 certificates – issued to people immunised against Covid-19 – played an important role in controlling the spread of the pandemic, but no longer work against the new Omicron mutation.
More here
FUEL PRICES
Motorists under pressure as Estonian retailers set new petrol price record
Photo: PixabayWith motor fuel prices continuing to increase in the Baltics, Estonian motorists witnessed another record in the retail price of petrol 95 on Thursday, February 3, and representatives of gas station networks did not see immediate chances of bringing it down, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
The price of a litre of petrol 95 in Estonia reached EUR 1.659 on Thursday, adding two euro cents to the previous record set in the last week of January.
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BNN summary of the week: Concert hall location. Packaging deposit system. Lithuania discontinues covid certificates
