Minister's salary to make the biggest expenditure item in creation of Energy Ministry

RIGA - The planned creation of the Energy Ministry will not require any significant additional expenses, and the minister's salary might be the biggest expenditure item, State Chancellery Director Janis Citskovskis said in an interview with TV3 channel on Friday. 

The public official explained that the new ministry will be established on the basis of existing public servants, material resources and premises, which means that the minister's salary will be the only extra cost. 

Although there is still no official decision on the establishment of the new ministry, public administration is already preparing for its implementation and will be ready to launch the ministry without a delay, Citskovskis said.

He did not reveal the planned location of the new ministry's head office, but said that work on this issue has been started in close cooperation with the Environmental Protection and that the State Chancellery will be prepared to ensure the working environment once the final decision on the ministry's creation is taken. 

According to Citskosvkis, initially it might be a "partly physical, partly virtual ministry", adding that the remote work skills acquired during the pandemic will help launch the ministry's work. 

As reported, after lengthy debating, Latvia's would-be coalition has reached an agreement on the creation of a new Climate and Energy Ministry. Salaspils mayor Raimonds Cudars (New Unity) has been mentioned as a likely candidate to head the new ministry.