The President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs called on the Minister of Finance Arvils Ašeradens to pay attention to the work of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, pointing out that municipalities and businessmen are generally unhappy with it.
As informed by the presidential advisor Mārtiņš Drēģeris, Rinkēvičs met with Ašeradens at the Riga Castle on Friday, the 4th of October, to discuss the formation of the 2025 state budget, the planned tax changes and their impact on the municipal budget.
During the conversation, the President of Latvia expressed his satisfaction that he – the minister – managed to set security as the main priority in the next year’s state budget and provide funding for strengthening internal security as well.
“In the current geopolitical circumstances, it must be taken into account that by strengthening national security, we also create a reliable environment for foreign and local investments,” said the president during the meeting.
In the context of the state budget and tax changes, Rinkēvičs stressed the importance of shoring up regional development and financial stability of municipalities.
“During visits to Latvian regions I noticed the financial situation of municipalities is often unappealing. In large part because there were no compensatory mechanisms in place for defining larger municipal functions or making tax or other decisions,” the president said.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed the current situation with the implementation of European Union funds projects as well.