Economics minister should be sacked for replacing Latvenergo board - Kucinskis

RIGA - Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) should dismiss Economics Minister Ralfs Nemiro (KPV LV) for replacing the supervisory board of the state-owned energy company Latvenergo, believes ex-premier Maris Kucinskis (Greens/Farmers) who now sits in the opposition in Saeima.

In an interview with Latvian Television today Kucinskis said that this is what Karins should do following Nemiro’s decision to replace the Latvenergo supervisory board.

The economics minister has to be dismissed if Latvia is to live up to the standards it signed to when joining the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). Kucinskis indicated that the existing legislation clearly stipulates the independence of supervisory boards.

As reported, On June 19, the Economics Minister as the holder of shares dismissed the supervisory board of Latvenergo power utility and appointed an interim board. Some coalition politicians criticized the move.

Karins will wait until the end of this week for Economics Minister Ralfs Nemiro’s (KPV LV) clarification regarding his decision to recall the supervisory board of the state-owned energy company Latvenergo.

Latvenergo is a state-owned company and the shareholder is the Economics Ministry. The shareholder’s interests are represented by Economics Ministry’s state secretary Eriks Eglitis.

The now dismissed board, which has been working since 2016, includes former DNB Banka head in Latvia Andris Ozolins as its chairman, former RB Rail CEO Baiba Rubesa, Valsts Nekustamie Ipasumi (State Real Estate) council member Martins Bicevskis, former Riga Airport CEO Andris Liepins, and airBaltic board member Martin Sedlacky, a citizen of Slovakia.