Kulbergs: cutting red tape will require changes to hundreds of laws

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) said on the LETA news agency's podcast “Kas tas vispār bija?” that the government's plan to reduce bureaucracy is proving more complicated than it may initially appear. According to him, meaningfully cutting administrative burdens would require changes to several hundred laws and Cabinet of Ministers regulations.

The prime minister described bureaucracy as one of the most significant problems in public administration, stressing that Latvia needs to become faster both in decision-making and in delivering services to residents and businesses.

A process that takes time

Kulbergs explained that many of the administrative procedures currently in force are embedded across a wide range of legal acts, meaning a review cannot be completed within the coming months. Any changes would need to go through the full parliamentary process, which takes time.

First step: the financial sector

As one of the first areas where bureaucracy reduction could begin, the prime minister pointed to a review of financial sector regulation. He noted that some companies still face difficulties opening bank accounts, which negatively affects the business environment.

Stance on taxes

Discussing state budget revenues, Kulbergs reiterated that priority should be given to eliminating inefficient use of resources and improving the efficiency of public administration, rather than raising taxes as a way to boost revenue.