Local governments and educational institutions in Latvia are concerned about the financial benefits of the government’s planned school network reform, Diena reports. Several questions remain unresolved, including the quantitative criteria to decide on keeping or reorganising schools. The Ministry of Education and Science estimates that 120 schools are likely to be affected by the changes,…
Latvia’s State Police have initiated proceedings against the Ventspils-based oil product terminal operator, Ventbunkers, seizing documents, LTV’s Panorama programme reports. Aivars Gobins, board chairman of Ventbunkers, said that the police action was related to a case that has been under investigation for five years and the statute of limitations for which was coming to an…
The construction cost of the East Highway in the Latvian capital, Riga, may increase by more than EUR 8mn, the Riga city council estimated, LETA reports. The city council considered changes to the project’s implementation, which also envisage an increase in funding. The city signed a contract for the first stage of the construction project…
All new beverages sold in Latvia will have to be marked with a Latvian deposit mark as of 1 July 2023, DELFI reports. Beverage producers and retailers had a transition period from 1 January to 30 June 2023 to allow them to adjust to the new rules. Miks Sturitis, board chairman of the deposit system…
New electricity distribution tariffs came into force in Latvia on 1 July 2023, LSM reports. Ahead of the change, distribution system operator Sadales Tikls (ST) urged consumers to change the tariff plan for facilities with low electricity consumption. However, ST’s client portal was unavailable due to technical maintenance on 29-30 June 2023. ST said that…
More than a half (55%) of Latvian residents do not know what their pension will be when they reach retirement age, according to a survey conducted by Luminor Bank, TVNET reports. At the same time, 20% of residents admit that they do not know where to look for information about their pension savings. In the…
Scientists from Latvia’s Riga Technical University (RTU) have developed an environmentally friendly solution to the problem of dusty roads, LSM reports. The solution is now being tested on several road sections. Viktor Kharitonov, lead researcher at RTU’s Faculty of Civil Engineering, said that the solution extracts lignin from waste generated in wood processing and uses…
The Latvian capital, Riga, is hosting the Latvian Song and Dance Festival from 30 June to 10 July 2023. Tickets are still available to many festivities, and some events are free. In addition, you can watch performances live on LSM.
Latvia’s New Unity remained the country’s most popular political party in June 2023, according to the latest SKDS poll, LSM reports. The survey showed 11.5% support for New Unity, which was up 1 percentage point from May 2023. Opposition party Latvia First came in second with 10% (8.3%) of support, followed by the Progressives with…