The budget of the State Revenue Service (SRS) will be reduced by 10% next year, and the number of employees by 13.2%, SRS Director General Baiba Šmite-Roke announced at a media event on Friday.
She emphasized that the SRS faces a challenging task - to maintain the same functions with fewer resources.
Šmite-Roke noted that the main budget of the SRS has already been reduced by 4% to €156.8 million for this year compared to €163.6 million the previous year. For 2026, the SRS budget will be reduced by €15.7 million, or 10%, to €121.2 million. This includes a budget of €19.7 million for the Tax and Customs Police, which will become a separate institution under the Ministry of the Interior.
Šmite-Roke reported that next year the remuneration of the SRS will be reduced by 9%, the remuneration in the Tax and Customs Police by 7%, IT expenses by 8%, and other expenses by 11%.
The director of the SRS Support Department, Antra Gremzde, who will take up the position of Deputy Director General and head of the Administrative Department next week, stated that the reduction in the ICT budget does not pertain to development and security.
Gremzde said that next year the ICT expenses in the SRS will be reduced by €2.6 million, including €2 million for the adaptation of information systems. She explained that in the future, if there are changes in regulations, it will also be necessary to provide a financial source for the adaptation of the SRS information systems.
An additional €330,000 will be cut for process improvements through broader use of artificial intelligence. Another €250,000 will be reduced for providing workplaces with computers, printers, phones, and licenses for "MS Office."
Gremzde added that in the following years until 2029, the development of ICT in the SRS will be carried out within projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, totaling €20 million.
According to Gremzde, in 2026, other operating expenses will be reduced by €2.4 million. This includes reducing the space used, which will save €675,000, as a large number of liquidated taxpayer cases stored in archives can be destroyed. The rent paid by the SRS to the State Real Estate Agency "Valsts nekustamie īpašumi" will also be reduced.
An additional €505,000 will be saved on business trips, training, translations, and €227,000 on formal uniforms. €549,000 will be saved on the maintenance of customs technical equipment, as the SRS will no longer service equipment at customs points that are currently closed (Silene and Vientuli). Currently, there are no signs that these points may resume operations.
An expected additional €200,000 savings on the vehicle fleet, €155,000 on various office supplies, services, furniture, and €130,000 on excise stamps, which are needed in smaller quantities.
The SRS will need to assess the risks associated with such a budget reduction, Gremzde added.
Šmite-Roke reported that a significant portion of the budget cuts is due to a reduction in the number of positions in the SRS. This year, the SRS has already reduced 93 positions to 3,595, compared to 3,688 at the beginning of the year.
Šmite-Roke reported that it has been possible to reduce the number of employees in some departments by 393 positions next year - to 2,820 in 2026. It should be noted that the Tax and Customs Police will be a separate institution with 382 employees.
In addition, next year 98 vacant positions will be abolished, as well as 54 managerial positions. Staff certification has already begun and will last until the end of November.
