Latvia's finance minister: state not required to sponsor Usakovs' ambitions

  • 2015-01-19
  • from wire reports, RIGA

The state is not required to sponsor the Riga City Council's political ambitions, Finance Minister Janis Reirs (Unity) said speaking about the city's demand for state subsidies for public transportation in Riga.

"The municipality itself must be responsible for its political decisions and the consequences, instead of polishing its image using federal funds. Higher fares are the result of the municipality's long-term impunity and living off taxpayers' money. It is important that Riga City Council officials learn from this situation and stop implementing political ambitions they cannot afford. The council has the largest budget [of any municipality], yet it is the only municipality in Latvia that demands the state fund its political moves via ultimatums," Reirs commented.

Speaking about the fact that municipalities are still working on their 2015 budget, the minister urged them to be politically responsible, and to take into account the funds available to them when making their long-term plans. 

However, Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs (Harmony Center) claims that that governing party Unity is to blame for higher public transportation fares in Riga, which will increase from 0.60 euros to 1.15 euros per ride on Feb 1.

Usakovs repeatedly told the LTV television channel this morning that the government had refused to grant subsidies to Rigas Satiksme, the municipal public transport company. He said that he had also discussed this issue with the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry, but to no avail, as such an initiative would have required Unity's approval. Usakovs said that relations between Harmony Center and Unity are hostile, and the ministry wanted no part in this dispute, hence no solution was found.

The mayor stressed that about 25 percent of users of Riga's public transport system are not residents of the capital. He claimed that it was therefore logical that the state should support Rigas Satiksme.

As reported, the Riga City Council approved on January 16 the proposal to set the public transport fare in the city at 1.15 euros from Feb 1.

As a result to Riga City Council's decision, the previous 50 percent discount that applied to all residents of Riga (who carried the "Rigan ID" card) will be cancelled, and from Feb 1 tickets will cost 1.15 euros. The other discounts - for pensioners, schoolchildren and persons with disabilities - will remain unchanged. A single ride will cost 2 euros if the passenger buys the ticket from the driver of a bus, tram, or trolley bus.