Budget, Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation

None of the opposition parties supported the budget.

Riga mayor’s spokeswoman Laila Ivana told LETA that this has been the longest budget adoption sitting since 1996. The meeting lasted for 17 hours with intervals. The opposition lawmakers asked 538 questions during the meeting.

Among the 66 proposals submitted by the opposition for the budget, just one was supported.

In 2018, revenues in the Riga budget are planned at EUR 906.62 million and expenditure at EUR 954.90 million. Riga’s budget deficit is planned at EUR 48.28 million or 5.4%. Revenues to the budget are projected to be by EUR 19 million higher than in 2017.

Tax revenues to the budget are planned to amount at EUR 702.66 million, EUR 145.10 will be the state budget transfers, EUR 28.17 million will be revenue of budget institutions, and EUR 23.53 million will be non-tax revenues.

Priorities in next year’s municipal budget are repairs and educational institutions, street repairs and social benefits.

EUR 19.32 million will be allocated to public order and security, EUR 248 million will be used to ensure economic operations, EUR 5.8 million will be allocated for environment protection, EUR 77.07 million for general government services, EUR 33 million for management of municipal territories and housing, and EUR 4.4 million for the health care sector.

Riga will also pay EUR 91.58 million into the fund for equalization of local government finances, EUR 334.84 million will be earmarked for education, EUR 91.64 million for social protection, and EUR 48.37 million for culture, recreation and religion.

The social budget is expected to grow by EUR 6 million or 9% to reach EUR 67 million in 2018.