Rinkēvičs calls on the government and municipalities to work together on demographic issues, economic development, and security.
At a meeting with representatives of municipalities and the Latvian Association of Local Governments, President Edgars Rinkēvičs emphasized three priorities that municipalities and the government must implement together.
According to the president's advisor, Mārtiņš Drēgeris, one of them, in Rinkēvičs' opinion, is strengthening the security and defense of the country to prepare for threats both in the military sphere and in civil defense.
The second priority is demographics, which is closely related to issues of the school network, accessibility of healthcare, and housing, the president believes.
The third priority, he stated, is the economic development and competitiveness of the state. In this regard, the approach to financing municipalities, tax policy, and other issues on which municipalities and the government must work in a joint dialogue are extremely important, Rinkēvičs emphasized.
The meeting discussed current issues in municipalities, as well as changes in the equalization fund for municipal finances, civil defense issues, entrepreneurship, and the network of schools and hospitals.
As reported, last week municipalities submitted numerous objections regarding the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Finance on improving the municipal financial equalization system on the legal acts portal.
The Ministry of Finance informed the LETA agency that the draft law is not yet being advanced to the government, and dialogue with municipalities and parliamentary factions on key principles that provide for significant improvements and a reduction in administrative burden is ongoing.
