Border issues need to be approached from both sides

RIGA -- Current methods of investment in Latvian-Russian border control posts do not make economic sense, according to Latvia's state auditor, Inguna Sudraba.

Speaking on the LTV  television channel, Sudraba said that it makes no sense for the lion's share of investment in border controls to come from only one of the countries involved. Her comments came after her department conducted an investigation into how efficient - or otherwise - border spending is in its current form.

"We think that in order to regulate the traffic it is important to ensure similar throughput of vehicles on both sides. If one of the parties is investing more, the trucks will keep queuing, as the other party would not be able to accommodate these. It is uneconomic action, uneconomic spending, as there will be no return on these investments," she explained.

When asked how the situation could be solved, Sudraba said that work in several directions is necessary, including discussion and coordination of the plans by the responsible institutions, as well as reassessment of economic grounds for the investments.

She expressed surprised that no dialogue and coordination of opinions with the Russian side has been reached, as the State Audit Office experience shows that Russian side is genuinely interested in solving the problem of long lines of trucks queueing to cross from Latvia to Russia.

Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis told LNT on Wednesday that the ordering of the border issue is being coordinated. "It cannot lack coordination, especially because the EU funds will be involved for Russian government as well," the prime minister said, adding that coordination is a difficult process and it is not always possible to stick to agreements.

He said that Latvian and Russian officials have agreed that it is necessary to organize an electronic registration system in order to speed up border checks.

"So, the work is in progress, but not everything can be solved in a day. If it was so easy, Finland would not have a 50 kilometer-long queue," said Kalvitis, who is due to step down on Dec. 5.

The State Audit Office during the audit assessed how useful and effective the work of institutions involved in the process is, and what is the return of state investment in construction of new roads, parking lots and upgrading of border control posts.

The Latvian Transport Ministry, under minister Ainars Slesers, has applied to the prosecutor's office with a request to assess the increased interest of the State Audit Office in container traffic crossing the border and the organization of queueing trucks at border crossing posts. Slesers has been outspoken in his criticism of Sudraba's investigative accountants, not least because they uncovered large overspends in his department.

Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis attempted to sack anti-corruption boss Aleksejs Loskutovs over far less serious accounting discrepancies, but no substantive action has been taken against Slesers or other overspending ministers.

Sudraba says she is prepared to sue Latvian Transport Minister Ainars Slesers in court.