Legislators are not sitting idly by. A new batch of changes regulating life in the republic and at its borders has been prepared for the people of Latvia.
1. Are you renovating/building a house? Report where the money comes from!
Starting from November 1, all individuals beginning construction, reconstruction, or major repairs of buildings in Latvia are required to indicate the source of funding in the Building Information System (BIS).
Why is this necessary?
To reduce the shadow economy, to control the "gray" sector in construction, which, according to experts, accounts for about one-third of the entire industry. The authors of the new regulations hope to generate an additional 2 million in the budget through the declaration of construction funding.
The Builders' Association emphasizes that private construction projects carry the highest risk of shadow economy, creating unequal conditions for honest builders.
The opinion of the State Revenue Service (SRS): the information available in BIS about the source of funding will be analyzed using a computerized "risk analysis system." For example, if a person indicated their savings in the "source of funding" field, the system will assess whether they could have such funds, taking into account their official income.
2. Cancellation of tourist bus routes to Russia and Belarus
The Latvian government has made a temporary decision to prohibit international irregular (excursion) passenger transport by buses across the border of Latvia with Belarus and Russia starting from November 1, for a period of one year.
Minister of Transport Aitis Švinka: "In the context of the current geopolitical situation and the government's call to refrain from traveling to Russia and Belarus, it has nevertheless turned out that the flow of 'irregular organized bus transport' has increased, leading to congestion on border roads."
The Ministry of Transport notes that there are still 3 regular bus routes to Belarus and six routes to Russia.
3. You can "suspend" vehicle registration without surrendering plates
Starting from November 1 of this year, it will be possible to temporarily suspend the registration of a vehicle (for example, for the winter period) without physically surrendering the license plates to the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD). This can be done electronically on the csdd.lv website.
The aim of the amendments to the laws "On Vehicle Operation Tax" and "On Enterprise Passenger Car Tax" is to create a more convenient procedure and reduce administrative burdens.
And the tax "on vehicle operation" will no longer apply to electric scooters.
4. Starting from November 1, you can dispose of leaves for free
Municipal services traditionally organize the removal of fallen leaves from cities in the autumn.
In Riga, from November 1 to 30, residents will be able to dispose of leaves for free at 34 collection points in different districts of the city. A new rule this year: leaves must not contain "live impurities" – that is, Spanish slugs (snails), which are spreading quickly and aggressively in Latvia. If they are found at the time of disposal, the leaves will not be accepted!
You can find the list and schedule of collection points on the riga.lv portal, in the "Autumn Leaf Disposal" section.
For any questions about leaves, you can call the Riga municipality's free information line at 80001201.
In 2024, the population disposed of 3,301 tons of leaves in this manner.
"Long" weekends in November
The Day of the Proclamation of the Latvian Republic on November 18 falls on a Tuesday and is a public holiday. To make the weekend longer, state and municipal institutions will move working days:
November 8, Saturday, will be a working day, and four days – from November 15 to 18 – will be holidays.
