The sports sector budget for the next year is planned at 52.4 million euros, which is 4 million less than this year, writes Diena.
Funding for sports has not increased in any category, including mass sports, which is declared a priority. A growth of 400,000 euros is noted only in the section for sports facilities - these funds are intended for the Latvian National Sports Center, and funding for the salaries of educators has also increased.
The review of the sports budget for the next year in the Saeima's subcommittee on sports began with a "stone in the garden" of the sports department of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). Deputy Oleg Burov expressed dissatisfaction that for the second consecutive year, the director of the department, Alexander Samoilov, did not personally attend the meeting, and last year he did not even connect remotely. Instead, the budget was presented by the Deputy State Secretary for Sports and Youth Edgars Pukinskis and Parliamentary Secretary Davis Martinš Daugavietis. The deputy called this an abnormal situation and a mockery, suggesting that Samoilov is poorly oriented in the budget.
Pukinskis, presenting the sports budget for the next year to the commission members, emphasized that basic expenses have not been reduced - they remain at 52.4 million euros, or 4.1% of the total MES budget. Analyzing the budget by items, Pukinskis noted that the only significant increase of 400,000 euros is allocated for sports facilities (this year funding amounted to almost 628,000 euros, and next year it will be 1.028 million). These funds have been redistributed from the sports federation support program. The basic funding for the Latvian National Sports Center has not changed for years, while new facilities have been transferred to its balance.
The chairwoman of the commission for sports education and high-performance sports of the Latvian Olympic Committee, Anita Muižniece, stated at the meeting that the sports budget has effectively returned to the level of 2018, and even decreased when considering inflation. She noted that the MES priorities - children's and youth sports - are well supported in words, but not in practice: there is no funding for the Youth Olympic Games or other projects.
