To find necessary funding for healthcare, Latvia’s Finance Minister Janis Reirs proposes creating “a fair system” in the context of the expected tax reform in which all employed taxpayers will be able to participate.
On November 20 the minister mentioned that 600,000 taxpayers paid social tax in full, which was used to finance healthcare. 250,000 residents did not, on the other hand, said Reirs, adding that this was the amount of money the government lacked to properly increase funding for healthcare.
“In the context of tax reform we will create a tax system that will be fair and its fairness will be expressed in having all taxpayers participate in it,” said the minister.
According to Reirs, changes for the tax system are the only way to help find necessary funding for healthcare.
As previously reported, Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Workers (LVSADA) has decided to organize another protest outside the Saeima on November 28. Protesters will request the parliament’s dismissal, as well as voice no confidence to Healthcare Minister Ilze Vinkele, as well as ask President Egils Levits return to the Saeima the budget for 2020 for a repeated review.
On November 14 the Saeima approved in the final reading the state budget for 2020, promising to allocate an additional amount of EUR 60 million for healthcare workers’ wages.
In 2018 the Saeima made the decision to allocate EUR 120 million to raise doctors’ wages in 2020, which meant it would be possible to increase wages by an average of 20%. However, later the ruling coalition admitted that adoption of this law was a mistake. (BNN/Business World Magazine)
