Financial Services, Latvia

Jaunzeme, who did not participate in the previous tender for the position of the Revenue Service's head, was encouraged to apply for the position by Amrop executive search firm. She also wanted to continue the Revenue Service's reform started by Cirule and her team.

In Jaunzeme's words, the Revenue Service should be a business-friendly institution and represent the values defined by its previous head Cirule - professionalism, cooperation, loyalty and responsibility.

Jaunzeme said that upon reading the Revenue Service's strategy, which was drawn up by Cirule, she concluded she would have written a very similar document. However, Jaunzeme is determined to clamp down on shadow economy more actively, creating a special job at the Revenue Service for tackling illegal business activity.

Jaunzeme also supports digitalization, for instance, allowing enterprises to submit their reports online. Jaunzeme also believes that business need special support during their first year of operations.

Jaunzeme's appointment to the post of the Revenue Service's head depends on Latvia's next government. The nominee for the Revenue Service's head confirmed readiness to meet with the government if she receives such an invitation.

"It will be the new government's initiative to invite me for an interview. I am ready to meet and lay out my priorities. The State Revenue Service has been working without a head since March 2018, so the sooner the new head is appointed the better for society," said Jaunzeme.

As reported, former Competition Council head and Economics Ministry’s administration head Ieva Jaunzeme has been selected for the post of the State Revenue Service (VID) head, the State Chancellery reported.

The selection commission will recommend Jaunzeme as the candidate to the finance minister who will make the decision on presenting the candidate to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval. If the candidate wins the necessary support in the government, she will be appointed the Revenue Service’s director general for a five-year term.

As reported, a total of 24 candidates applied for the position which became vacant after the Revenue Service’s previous head Ilze Cirule suddenly passed away in March 2018. She had been heading the Revenue Service since November 2016.

The government approved Revenue Service's deputy head Dace Peleka as the acting director general of the service.

Maris Skujins, a former board member of Latvian Television, won the first tender that was held to fill the vacancy, but he withdrew his bid after questions were raised about his reputation.