Kulberg government leaves 53 action-plan tasks unfinished

Fifty-three of the 185 tasks in Andris Kulbergs’ government action plan remain unfinished, including three that were never started, LSM reported. Many other tasks have been launched or only partly completed.

The plan initially contained 215 tasks, but the number was later cut to 150 because the budget could not cover some measures. Ministers could also advance 35 additional tasks if funding was found. The plan listed 61 government priorities; the latest progress report marks 52 as completed or ongoing, while nine are still being implemented.

One task that was never started concerned support for energy-intensive companies, such as factories that use large amounts of electricity, gas or other fuel. The Economics Ministry was due to propose a way to offer these companies long-term contracts at tariffs 30% lower than short-term market prices.

One possible arrangement would be an electricity purchase agreement linking buyers to specific generating facilities for 10 to 25 years or longer. The ministry said it had not started work because it had found no potential funding sources. It also cited a University of Latvia study that found no sign local banks or other financial institutions were seeking a support instrument to expand lending for energy projects. The researchers said low demand for electricity purchase agreements alone was not a reason to publicly guarantee a commercially unattractive product. Latvijas Radio asked the ministry for further comment but had not received a response.

The other two tasks that were never started fall mainly under the Education Ministry. They concern funding for school meals and a schedule for increasing teachers’ pay.