Despite the fact that former Prime Minister Kariņš once proclaimed the alignment with the Nordic countries as the vector for the country's development, in road safety we have fallen decades behind Scandinavia.
In particular, Diena found out that the state company Latvijas Valsts ceļi purchased Lepower lights manufactured in China "at an disproportionately high price." The Procurement Monitoring Bureau sees no violations in the company's activities. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development indicated that "the regulations stipulate the obligation of the customer to ensure (obtain confirmation) that the delivered goods or services meet the specified requirements." "In Latvia, entrepreneurs often buy cheap lights from unknown manufacturers, often from Asian countries, and then sell them to the public sector at a high markup," comments Diena.
