During the parliamentary debates on the bills accompanying the budget, opposition deputies emphasized that the country is 'living on credit' and that the budget is not transparent enough.
During the debates, deputies from the 'United List' emphasized that next year and in the following years, it is necessary to work on not increasing the national debt, as an increase in the debt burden may lead to a situation where it will be impossible to borrow at a time of real need.
Speakers also highlighted that Latvia's economy does not allow for borrowing to the extent that other countries do. Greece was cited as an example, whose tourism opportunities provide a significant contribution to the state budget.
Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) stated that borrowing should only be done to invest in the development of the economy and to strengthen defense.
Andris Kulbergs ('United List') reproached coalition deputies for having violated their previous commitments, one of which was not to increase the national debt.
By 3:00 PM, the Saeima deputies had approved about 25 out of 47 bills accompanying next year's budget.
At the budget meeting, the deputies decided to shorten the debate time: the first speech can last three minutes, while the second speech is limited to just one minute. The overall procedure established by the Saeima regulations provides that during debates on proposals, a deputy may speak for five minutes the first time and two minutes the second time.
Politicians promised that the budget review would not take place at night in parliament, so that society, non-governmental organizations, and the media could follow the process. The budget review in the second reading is expected to last until 9:00 PM, and if additional time is needed, work will continue at 9:00 AM on Thursday.
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