Latvia, Legislation, Tourism, Transport

Edgars Zalans.

The Jurmala City Council has made an irresponsible decision, Zalans explains. In the current economic situation, budget revenues have decreased for all local governments, but this problem cannot be solved by charging more money for functions that are already being funded with taxpayers' money, the minister said.

Zalans explains that the Jurmala City Council had neither legal, nor economic grounds for increasing the toll.

In its report to the Regional Development and Local Governments Ministry, the Jurmala City Council explained that the extra funds provided by the increased toll would be spent on such projects as waste management, urban environment development, sewage management, water purification and others. However, according to the law "On Local Governments", all of these are considered to be autonomous functions of a local government.

Since the Cabinet of Ministers gave Jurmala the status of a special regime area with the goal to improve environmental protection in the city, increasing the toll so as to have extra funds for the said municipal functions is unjustified, Zalans explains.

As reported, on October 29 the Jurmala City Council approved the increase of the toll for vehicles to enter the resort city from LVL 1 to LVL 2.