Saeima supports substantial increase in state officials' salaries from 2023

RIGA - Saeima today supported amendments to the Law on Remuneration of Officials and Employees of State and Local Government Authorities in the final reading, which stipulate increasing state officials' salaries from 2023 as part of the reform of the remuneration system in public administration.

According to LETA's estimates based on the government's original amendments, from 2023 monthly salaries of the president, Saeima speaker, the prime minister, the Supreme Court chairman and the Constitutional Court chairman will increase by about 40 percent, amounting to approximately EUR 7,607.

Salaries of ministers will increase by about one-third to EUR 6,700. Salary of the prosecutor general will increase to approximately EUR 7,280, salary of the auditor general and the ombudsman - to approximately EUR 6,700, and salary of deputy chairman of the Constitutional Court - to approximately EUR 6,500.

Meanwhile, salaries of Saeima members will increase about 10 percent to approximately EUR 3,800 euros in 2023.

The aim of the amendments is to improve the efficiency and quality of public administration, the State Chancellery previously informed LETA.

The State Chancellery has concluded that remuneration of highly qualified employees in public administration and local governments is 28 percent to 38 percent lower than salaries of employees in similar positions in the private sector. As a result, staff turnover at state and municipal institutions is increasing and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified professionals.

The State Chancellery earlier said that up to a third of employees in public administration are recruited and trained each year. Due to the disproportionately low salaries, responsibility and complexity of work, these employees often decide to leave the public administration.

The amendments to the Law on Remuneration of Officials and Employees of State and Local Government Authorities, for the first time in eleven years, fundamentally transforms the public administration remuneration system, addressing a number of long-standing problems - low employee motivation, high staff turnover and the need to invest large resources in staff development, said the State Chancellery.