Latvia, Port, Transport

The bill was passed by 64 votes from coalition MPs, as well as the opposition Union of Greens and Farmers. MPs of the opposition Harmony group did not participate in the vote.

At the extraordinary sitting on Wednesday, the parliament passed amendments to the Law on the Freeport of Ventspils and the Law on Ports. The draft amendments to the two laws were pushed through parliament in a fast-track procedure which only included two readings, both held on Wednesday. 

Some opposition lawmakers raised concerns about the port's possible privatization in the future. MP Ivars Zarins (Harmony) proposed to include in the bill a provision that would prevent the port from being sold off, but his proposal was rejected. 

Transport Minister Talis Linkaits (New Conservative Party, JKP) said that the establishment of Ventas Osta company will not require additional money from the government budget and that the Transport Ministry would allocate financing for this purpose from its own resources. 

As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday supported the proposal of the Transport Ministry to established state joint stock company Ventas Osta that will ensure management of the Ventspils port.

Ventas Osta's share capital will be EUR 35,000, while the shareholder will be the Transport Ministry. The new company's voting shares will belong to the Latvian state.

Transport Ministry's acting state secretary Dzineta Innusa said that the legal status of Ventspils Freeport will not be changed.

Transport Minister Talis Linkaits (New Conservative Party, JKP) said that the bill will provide legal certainty to the companies who want to continue their work at Ventpils port.

According to the Transport Ministry, in order to ensure uninterrupted operations of Ventspils port and prevent potential negative consequences on cargo transportation and companies working at the port, the Ventspils Freeport Authority should be separated from the port as a territory.

As reported, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) on December 9 imposed sanctions on a number of natural and legal persons in Europe, Asia and Latin America, including on Latvia's Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs, based on the so-called Magnitsky act.

OFAC has listed four organizations that belong to or are controlled by Lembergs - Vetspils Freeport Administration, Ventspils Development Agency, Business Development Agency, and the Latvian Transport Business Association.

To deal with Lembergs' influence in the Freeport of Ventspils, the government on Wednesday decided to take over the ports of Ventspils and Riga.