Today, the question "On the permission to increase and terminate the participation of the limited liability company Riga Municipality Rīgas satiksme in SIA Rīgas karte" is on the agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the City Council.
On Thursday, it was already reviewed by the Finance and Administrative Affairs Committee, headed by Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs.
House of Cards
Plastic rectangles with the Riga coat of arms appeared in the pockets of city residents in the fall of 2013 – and were accompanied by a lot of administrative complications. People had to stand in huge lines to obtain the magical card, which, along with public transport rides, promised certain benefits – but, alas, all of them remained just good intentions. However, the beneficiaries of this house of cards built themselves quite solid mansions...
Law enforcement agencies were investigating a criminal case regarding 43,076 euros fraudulently obtained from the municipality – involving former members of the board of SIA Rīgas karte Pavel T. and Alexander B., as well as PR specialist Gints F.
Meanwhile, the process of the municipality's participation in SIA Rīgas karte began long before the aforementioned date – decision No. 1055 "On the necessity of the participation of the limited liability company Riga Municipality Rīgas satiksme in SIA Rīgas karte" was quietly adopted as far back as February 23, 2010. And on January 13, 2013, SIA Rīgas karte entered the register of electronic money enterprises, from which the Bank of Latvia excluded it on May 28, 2025.
And isn't one euro a pity?
And now, after 15 years, the municipality has come to the conclusion that Rīgas karte is, so to speak, an unnecessary entity. Based on a number of articles of the Law on Municipalities and the Law on the Management of Capital Shares of Public Entities and Capital Companies, the authorities intend to implement the development strategy of SIA Rīgas satiksme, according to which its participation in SIA Rīgas karte is "not sustainable".
By the way, in order to take such a bold step, V. Kleinbergs and his colleagues called for help from the TEGOS law office – also an SIA, which earned its share from the tickets of Riga residents. The result was a formula whereby Rīgas satiksme, using the right of first refusal, acquires 1,816,130 shares of the capital (49%) of Rīgas karte, thereby becoming its 100% owner "to ensure the management and liquidation process." Moreover, this purchase can be made for just 1 euro! There it is – the magical power of what is called a political decision.
Although the document is formally signed by our city manager, executive director Janis Lange, and the urgency justification was conducted by the head of the capital companies department Ilze Spule-Statkus, there is clearly a trend in the current authorities towards the total dismantling of all the legacies of previous mayors, one of which is the infamous "Riga Resident Card".
Of course, in this case, we are currently talking about the liquidation of the enterprise – but not the plastic card itself. Rīgas satiksme continues to service personalized e-tokens.
