Construction, Latvia, Legislation

The builders claim that the Latvian government owes them EUR 9.243 mln for the construction works as well as EUR 924,259 in penalties and EUR 1.223 mln in late interest payments.

The Culture Ministry spokeswoman, Lita Kokale, said that the claim was unsubstantiated both legally and financially. She said that the ministry had paid the construction contractors in full in accordance with the contract signed on May 15, 2008, and the confirmation of the final payment issued by the Hill International as the construction supervisor of the National Library project.

Kokale stressed that the maximum contract amount was calculated back in 2008 when the construction costs had been at the highest level in Latvia's history. The Latvian states paid altogether EUR 195,565,638 for construction of the new National Library building which lasted for eight years, she said.

The Riga City Vidzeme District Court will hear the claim by the construction contractor on September 13 this year.

As reported, in January 2017 the Culture Ministry rejected the request by Nacionala Buvkompaniju Apvieniba for payment of additional EUR 22.48 mln for construction of the National Library, and the construction contractor vowed to turn to the court to get the money, insisting that the amount comprised construction fees still due to it, plus the applicable penalties and interest.