Today, Latvia ranks 37th in the corruption perception index, while 17% of residents, according to anonymous surveys by the Bureau for Prevention and Combating Corruption (BPBC), have "used gifts, connections, or payments to arrange affairs" in the last two years.
Something needs to be done about this. The "Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Riga City Council" published in the City Council's database is planned until 2029 and is based on the conclusions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which required local authorities to "not only improve the regulatory framework but also strengthen practical implementation, especially in areas such as conflict of interest elimination, internal control, and transparent decision-making."
Under Kleinbergs – a department was established
It should be noted that the planned budget for the capital of Latvia in 2026 is the largest in the history of local government. Riga's revenues amount to €1.508 billion, while expenditures total €1.702 billion. To cover the deficit, the Riga City Council is attracting borrowed funds amounting to about €200 million. Accordingly, the capital remains a potential hotspot for the highest corruption risks.
The new broom – the mayor from the "Progressives" has introduced the Department of Quality and Risk Management in the Central Administration of the Riga City Council since February 1 of this year. For its part, a number of practices used under previous mayors of the "change coalition" were deemed "inappropriate/proportional, as the corresponding regulation at the state level had not come into force."
"A transparent and honest public procurement process is one of the cornerstones of ensuring good governance and effective use of local government resources," the Strategy states. "This is important for society for many significant reasons. Residents expect that tax money will be used responsibly and with maximum return. An effective procurement process ensures that the best quality services and goods are purchased for the available resources at the best possible price. Openness and transparency in procurement processes significantly reduce the possibility of corruption and diminish public suspicion of dishonest actions."
Since 2025, the Riga City Council has begun implementing the ISO 37001 standard "Anti-Bribery Management System."
Meanwhile, regarding the capital owned by local government companies, the Strategy allows for "developing their own anti-corruption strategy or policy."
"Low-Threshold Procurement"
"It is important to include an anti-bribery clause in the procurement contract," municipal officials state.
"The contracting parties need to provide for the obligation to immediately inform the local government of any potential conflict of interest or corrupt action related to the non-fulfillment of the contract. If these obligations are violated, the contract should provide the local government with the right to immediately terminate the contract and demand a contractual penalty and recover damages."
Meanwhile, during the tenure of Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis (February 2, 2023), Executive Director Jānis Lange adopted internal rules N RD-23-11-nti, which specified a contract price threshold of €5,000 and above (excluding VAT), which applied to the supply of goods, provision of services, or construction works.
Changing the procedure by introducing a "single solution... promoting openness" is planned by December 31, 2028. Isn't that a bit long?
As for larger, "high-risk or large-volume procurements with technically complex specifications," the implementation of an "integration pact," which should prevent corruption, is planned by December 31, 2027.
Virtual Affairs of Power
In addition to the aforementioned BPBC, the Riga City Council plans to involve: the State Audit Office, the State Police, and the State Revenue Service in combating corruption.
The local government has also committed to considering the recommendations of the State Chancellery – although, unfortunately, at the time of submitting the Strategy, the director of that institution, Raivis Kronbergs, was accused in the "lumberjack case" and parted ways with his position... Trusted organizations such as Delna and PROVIDUS are called upon to cooperate on behalf of civil society.
A significant contribution is expected from changing the very order of document management:
"Currently, procurement cases are conducted in paper format, which are then submitted to the archive, thereby complicating the work of the Procurement Management," the anti-corruption document notes. However, in the near future, "a transition to a paperless policy is planned, recognizing what documentary cases are stored in paper format or hybrid cases... and creating virtual cases without duplicating the paper format."
Secrets of the Riga City Council
"At the same time, it should be ensured that the virtual procurement case provides the necessary confidentiality of documentation and is accessible only to relevant specialists, so as not to create the risk of using information for malicious purposes," the document states.
Thus, thanks to the ELISS document management program, available, among others, to all elected members of the City Council, an 80% reduction in printing volume is achieved. In the management of the council factions, for example, there are no longer dedicated printers – everything is directed to a common device in the City Hall lobby, access to which is provided by an electronic card that is also used when entering the building and accessing the staff parking lot.
Meanwhile, if in the good old days, document accounting in folders was the task of meticulous archivists, today it only takes a few keystrokes on a computer to retrieve any volume from electronic memory. In any case, the city hall promises its staff a "green" workplace reflecting the connection between ethics and social responsibility."
Do you love honey?
Well, to be frank – the greenery is somewhat artificial, as the City Council is decorated with plastic flowers in pots. However, just recently, they held Bee Day – on the third floor of the roof, three beehives, set up during the tenure of former Vice Mayor Andris Ameriks, quietly reside. They also produce honey – Mayor Kleinbergs even offered to taste it.
If we return to the paperless turnover, then, in reality, the ELISS database is an inexhaustible treasure trove of information. For example, on May 21, 2026, a letter "On the allocation of funds from the Riga City Infrastructure Fund for the project "Proposals for Planning Solutions for the Historic Center of Riga and its Protective Zone in the Field of Environmental and Strategic Impact Assessment" was registered. The cost – €130,000.
And this is just one document signed by an official in the position of acting deputy head of the department...
