The government is urged to urgently assist residents with heating payments! 0 6

Latvians have already started receiving their January heating bills and... many have already clutched their hearts. However, the authorities are still in no rush to make any decisions on this matter. Today, the Union of Greens and Farmers, which is part of the ruling coalition, made an unusual statement.

"The Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) calls on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to take immediate action to provide targeted necessary support to households during this cold winter season, when heating bills for the population are rapidly increasing, considering that heating expenses may be even 60% higher than in previous years.

The UGF believes that the government should fully support the proposal discussed at the cooperation meeting this week by the Minister of Welfare, Rainis Uzulnieks, to amend the conditions for calculating housing benefits from January to the end of April by increasing the coefficients used in the calculation of the benefit, which will provide substantial financial support to a wide range of residents.

In addition, it is necessary to seek other solutions aimed at a broader population. "The price of electricity and heat energy has become an important social and economic issue, as many residents acknowledge that debt obligations may increase and difficulties in paying bills are possible," noted UGF board member Uldis Augulis.

The UGF also emphasized in its statement that state support should be provided for paying bills not only for heating but also for electricity, as electricity is often used for heating as well. Furthermore, the government should consider how to ensure that support (benefits) for households is calculated based on actual expenses rather than just formal benefit thresholds.

U. Augulis calls on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to immediately improve the support system, taking into account the rising costs of heating and electricity, to ensure the social security of the residents of Latvia this heating season.

It should also be noted that as heating payments increase, so does the amount of taxes paid into the state budget (value-added tax and excise tax), including the income of heat and electricity producers, therefore the state has more opportunities to support those who have encountered difficulties in paying bills.