EUR 57 million promised to teachers will have to be found as early as this fall - Kulbergs

RIGA - The government has no intention of letting teachers down, so the EUR 57 million promised for teachers’ salaries will have to be found this fall, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List) said Wednesday in an interview with the Latvian Television.

He described this funding need as a legacy left by the previous government. At the same time, economic indicators are 0.4 percent below projections, which is already affecting the state budget this year.

"That is why we must not only find ways to cover the needs already included in the budget, but also find the money for this nice little gift," said Kulbergs.

The prime minister emphasized that when deciding on new needs and costly measures, politicians must also be able to answer the question of where to find the funding for them.

He noted that it is possible not only to reallocate funds but also to increase government revenue. For example, programs will be available next year through which the government could attract additional funding.

However, taking advantage of such opportunities will require political decisions. If politicians are unwilling to make those decisions, funding for teachers will have to be found by cutting spending in other areas, Kulbergs acknowledged.

Kulbergs told LETA on Monday, following a coalition coordination meeting, that that the initial version of his government’s action plan included 215 tasks, a number that has been reduced to 150 because several of the proposed initiatives were not financially feasible.

Of the excluded measures, 35 have nevertheless been identified as ones that could be implemented, but only if the responsible ministers manage to secure the necessary funding for them.