Minister Refuses to Promote Debt Write-off for Ventspils Port

Transport Minister Aitis Švinka (Progressives) has decided not to promote the write-off of the Ventspils port authority's debt to the State Treasury amounting to 14.8 million euros, according to the minister's post on the X platform, LETA reports.

He emphasizes that the deterioration of Ventspils port's infrastructure, which requires investments of up to 100 million euros, is not solely due to Russia's aggression and the consequences of sanctions.

"For more than 35 years, the 'management' practiced, during which the infrastructure of the city of Ventspils was maintained with the funds of the port, European funds, and state support, has contributed to the port's lag in competition with Baltic ports," the minister writes.

This week, the minister plans to gather information and next week meet with the faction of the Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) in the Saeima and deputies from the party "For Latvia and Ventspils" to inform them about possible solutions.

The Ministry of Transport indicated to the LETA agency that more detailed information about the decisions will follow soon.

Earlier, the TV3 program "Nekā personīga" reported that the UGF is calling for the write-off of the debts of the Ventspils Free Port Authority, which exceed 19.9 million euros, most of which are loans from the State Treasury.

According to the UGF, the debts arose when the port was managed exclusively by the state, and they should be written off before self-government returns to managing the port.

"Nekā personīga" reported that the Ministry of Finance and the State Treasury view this idea with caution, pointing to the potential for unacceptable state aid and the need for a special law to write off part of the debts.

Amendments to the Ports Law, which provide for the return of representatives of self-governments to the port councils, are currently stalled in the Saeima committee. The Chairman of the Saeima Committee on Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy, Kaspars Briškens (P), criticized the UGF for political pressure and blackmail, while the UGF denies any political motives, emphasizing the economic nature of the problem, the program explained.

It was previously reported that a total of 8.234 million tons of cargo were handled at the Ventspils port terminals in 2024, which is 21% less than in 2023.

In terms of cargo volume, Ventspils port ranks second among the ports of Latvia.