The parties of the ruling coalition agreed not to liquidate the Foundation for Public Integration (FPI), announced the leader of the "Progressives" faction in the Saeima, Andris Shuvaev.
At the same time, an audit of the foundation's functions and an assessment of its administrative expenses are planned. "Overall, the FPI will continue its work," said Shuvaev.
The idea to liquidate the foundation as part of the budget proposals for the next year was put forward by the Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF), and its initiative was supported by some opposition parties.
According to Shuvaev, an agreement has also been reached that funding for the State Capital Culture Fund will correspond to the level established by law.
A representative of the "Progressives" stated that separate agreements have been reached for additional funding for healthcare; however, the volumes and objectives will be known after a final agreement is reached.
The coalition agreed to continue discussing budget proposals on Thursday and Friday.
Economy Minister Viktor Valainis (UGF) told reporters that a decision on the future of the FPI will be made after a functional audit, which will be completed at the beginning of next year. After that, it is planned to consider which functions of the foundation can be transferred to ministries and to discuss a possible change of its name.
Valainis also mentioned that a compromise has been reached in the coalition regarding the continuation of the reconstruction of the oncology center, the allocation of additional funds for rural family doctors, and savings measures, including a reduction in expenses for the "Rail Baltica" project by 200-300 million euros.
Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens ("New Unity") characterized the negotiations as constructive, as several compromises have been reached. The minister noted that it is impossible to satisfy all proposals from coalition partners, and solutions for some of them will be sought outside the budget work.
As reported, the UGF proposed to reorganize the FPI, which could save 1.19 million euros for the budget. According to the UGF, the programs of the FPI could subsequently be implemented by the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education and Science, providing support to non-governmental organizations, media, and continuing initiatives for social cohesion.
Coalition partners criticized the UGF's proposal, calling it populist.
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