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Latvian Finance minister accepts Petersone's resignation

BC, Riga, 31.05.2016.Print version
Finance Minister of Latvia Dana Reizniece-Ozola (Greens/Farmers) will accept the State Revenue Service Director General Inara Petersone's resignation, as the minister confirmed to LETA.

Petersone's resignation is a serious loss to public administration, which is why the minister is considering requesting Petersone to stay on to work in public administration, for instance, as an advisor.

 

Although resigned, Petersone still has to work for one more month, and Reizniece-Ozola will announce a competition for the Revenue Service's head during this time.

 

Inara Petersone decided to stand down as Director General of the State Revenue Service because she does not see a possibility of positive change in Latvia's public administration.

 

Petersone said at a press briefing today that her decision to resign as the Revenue Service's head had nothing to do with threats or psychological pressure.

 

Petersone said that Latvia's public administration is lacking a team that would be united by a common goal and that she did not see a possibility to activate the public administration in the name of a common goal. There are many absurdities in the public administration that just cannot be changed, Petersone said.

 

The head of the Revenue Service said that for years promises have been made to reform Latvia's public administration and its wage system, but that these promises were never kept. One cannot expect public servants with higher education to do their job responsibly and conscientiously in exchange for a meager wage which is only slightly higher than the minimum pay. This causes stress, deterring people with strategic and innovative thinking from working in the public administration. Also, young enthusiastic people who join the public administration lose their enthusiasm pretty soon, Petersone said.

 

"There is no team with a common goal in the public administration," Petersone said, adding that she does not mean planning documents which are so numerous that nobody can be expected to read them all.

 

Petersone also said that she cannot complain about pressure from Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis (Greens/Farmers) or Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola (Greens/Farmers). On the contrary, Petersone shared a common vision with these government officials and felt their support.

 

Petersone denied that her decision to stand down was caused by public pressure and smear campaigns. "I am strong enough, and I have proved this to my colleagues and myself," the head of the Revenue Service said, adding that the service's employees are working under enormous stress.

 

Petersone had also expected businesspeople to support the Revenue Service more actively.

 

As reported, Petersone tendered resignation last night, but Finance Minister Reizniece-Ozola did not immediately accept it, asking Petersone to reconsider her decision.

 

Petersone became head of the State Revenue Service on October 22, 2013. She was nominated for the position at the recommendation of the then finance minister Andris Vilks (Unity).






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