Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš does not believe the wages of leading state officials and people’s representatives should be frozen at their current levels.
«I don’t think this should be done. I believe we need a wage reform,» said the PM in an interview to TV3 programme 900 seconds on Wednesday, the 18th of January, answering the question if the initiative that suggests freezing wages of state officials and people’s representatives at their current levels should be supported.
The PM also mentioned that people have always argued over wages and will continue doing the same in the future.
At the same time, he mentioned that wages are gradually increased for other people. This includes doctors and teachers. The minimal wage is on a rise as well.
As it is known, more than 14 thousand signatures of Latvian citizens were collected for a proposal to freeze the wages of state leading officials and people’s representatives at their current levels and wait until the economic situation in the country has stabilised before increasing wages again. The initiative is to be reviewed by the Cabinet of Ministers.
In accordance with the planned wage increase the state president will be paid EUR 7 962 instead of the current EUR 6 260, which is an increase of 27%. The Saeima speaker’s wage will increase from EUR 4 565 to EUR 7 962 (+75%), the wage of the PM will increase from EUR 5 216 to EUR 7 962 (+53%), Saeima deputies’ wages will increase from EUR 2 963 to EUR 3 981 (+34%), ministers’ wages will increase from EUR 3 841 to EUR 6 256 (+63%), according to estimates from LTV programme De Facto.
Also read: Latvia’s parliament invites government to review officials’ wages