Construction, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Real Estate

Sudraba spoke to reporters following a meeting of the Saeima Investigative Committee.

The Economy Ministry is reporting the results of the findings made by the Consumer Rights Protection Center.

For example, out of 489 construction materials tested from a number of sites, 277 or 48% did not meet the required standard. As a result, 22 items were removed from the sites and handed over to experts for further examination.

Consumer Rights Protection Center's investigators also examined eight concrete slabs – their dimensions, compression strength, density, moisture absorption and cold-proof qualities. Four – three manufactured in Latvia, one in Lithuania, did not adhere to what was initially planned and declared.

"Something is really wrong with this country," Sudraba commented, also expressing surprise at the fact that this reality was discovered "despite the fact that the construction companies and crews knew that in-depth probes were pending in wake of the tragedy."

MP Aleksandrs Kirsteins (VL-TB/LNNK) advocated a "euro-code" in the construction sector as this would avert a Domino effect and such a large number of fatalities, as was the case in Zolitude.

Committee Chairman Ringolds Balodis, from Sudraba's party, had requested MP Arturs Kaimins (LRA) not leave his "speech" for the close of the meeting, but to no avail, as Kaimins once again asked to be heard last. Balodis reaction to this: declaring the meeting over. Kaimins expressed his dismay with this move, explaining that he had wanted to "hand out a document" to colleagues, a document containing what alterations had been made in building maintenance supervision since the "Maxima-Zolitude" tragedy.