Weekly review
Poll
Concern about gaps in the skills and knowledge of our pupils is voiced quite widely from time to time. Unfortunately, only when someone from outside Latvia has concluded as much. Why is that?
There is a political tendency to be busy, to invest, to make promises, but not to think about the results
If you have little knowledge yourself, you do not even know how or what you do not know...
A smart society is not always desirable or welcome
Many interests swirl around education. A "good result" is rarely mentioned among them
29 December – 5 January
About the IUFRO congress
Early registration for the IUFRO XXVI World Congress until 15 January
About the official
The Ministry of Economics has summarised the 2023 supervision results for real estate intermediaries (brokers), concluding that the majority of brokers registered in the real estate intermediary register diligently comply with their regulatory obligations – they have insured their civil liability and have met their professional development requirements on time, thus demonstrating their professionalism and integrity towards clients, other industry merchants, and the state.
Regulatory acts coming into force in 2024...
Useful! Very useful!
We invite consumers, entrepreneurs, representatives of non-governmental organisations, and other interested parties to participate by 12 March 2024 in the public consultation announced by the European Commission on the initiative to revise European Union textile labelling rules. This initiative plans to revise textile labelling rules by introducing comprehensive requirements for the physical and digital labelling of textile products and related items. The goal of the initiative is to provide consumers with accurate, understandable, and comparable information, particularly regarding the environmental impact of textile products.
The Council of the State Audit Office has approved 13 new performance audit and 3 compliance audit topics for 2024, which it will initiate in addition to the 27 financial audits required by law. Work also continues on 40 previously started audits. In its new audits, the State Audit Office will continue to focus on assessing human capital issues in sectors with long-standing and unresolved problems, and will also address state budget expenditures and revenues in strategic areas, as well as issues related to the Green Deal and climate neutrality, Delfi was informed by the institution.
On industry issues
This January will mark almost two years since AS Latvijas valsts meži received its first task from the State Property Agency for the deforestation of the Latvia–Belarus border zone. During this time, employees of the LVM Dienvidlatgale and Ziemeļlatgale regions have planned, organised, and managed deforestation work along more than 147 km, where deforestation is now complete.
The Aizkraukle marsh road crosses the 'Aizkraukle purvs un meži' nature reserve and ends at a roughly two-hectare reservoir created in the 1970s, which was dug for fire safety purposes at the Aizkraukle peat extraction site. Following the reconstruction of the forest road, water can now be drawn from this reservoir in the event of a fire.
About 2023 in science
This year, the winners of the best scientific achievements and applied research awards include ten project leaders. It is particularly noteworthy that the majority of the 2023 laureate collectives are led by representatives of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, which testifies to the high qualifications and excellent achievements of its members.
About the economy
The most significant economic event of 2023 was the halting of high inflation. By the end of the year, consumer prices in Latvia were only 1% higher than at the beginning of the year, whereas a year ago inflation exceeded 20%. The promises of European governments to focus on energy efficiency and diversify supply routes did not prove empty – by the end of 2023, oil and wheat on global stock exchanges were even costing less than before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Some questions about the State Audit Office...
On environmental issues
In the waste management region that includes Riga and several surrounding Pierīga municipalities, the separate collection of biological waste was supposed to have started as early as 1 January 2022.
Two deadlines for sorting were set because, in the case of waste management in the Riga region, separate collection was launched in conjunction with the organic waste processing plant in Getliņi, whereas elsewhere, the designated sorting plants had to be completed by the end of 2023.
New binding regulations are planned in Riga. The reason is that, following the new Law on Local Governments, current procedures must be re-evaluated by local authorities. Furthermore, these issues have also become topical following the mysterious felling of a large oak tree in Iļģuciems in the autumn.
Pouring and throwing all sorts of rubbish into rivers is bad – this, at least in theory, is quite understandable to the more reasonable part of humanity. What is less clear is that harm is caused to rivers by installations that seem quite harmless.
About this and that
People like to plan their future. Some would even say it is necessary. Planning means we believe we know what will happen in the future. At least in the near future. Although, with a little thought, it must be admitted that it is impossible to predict anything.
Some time ago, Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a Russian businessman living in Great Britain, said in an interview about Jūrmala that it was nice here, like being at home... And in another interview, the successful wine merchant criticised Latvia's citizenship policy as foolish, because, you see, the non-citizen status is not forward-looking. We are already used to being lectured by anyone who feels like it. How is democracy going in Russia? It isn't, but some of those who failed to implement good governance in their own land travel the world and teach others...
Mould has begun to cover the renovated concert hall Rīga in the premises of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. This was confirmed by experts from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, who surveyed the hall, which has not been heated or lit for eight years. The owners of the hall – the Latvian Academy of Sciences – claim that they are currently working on a project for the further development of the hall...
In Rauna, at the Vecgaili home, a dog and cats were left alone after the mistress passed away. After much howling, the dog broke free from its chain and roamed, while the cats faithfully waited for people to arrive. The animals are starving, and nobody cares, even though inheritance matters are being handled, locals who, unable to bear the situation, had been trying to feed the animals for several months, knew to say. Must potential heirs take the property into their possession along with the animals and continue to care for them as their own?
Fossil fuels once made the transition to capitalism possible, and without them, the civilisation we know would be quite different. Although the first factories in Great Britain, which are generally considered the start of the industrial revolution, used renewable energy, namely water mills, industry really picked up pace in the first half of the 19th century when people realised that a steam engine, powered by cheap and efficient fuel – coal – could be used to run machinery.
Current events in cartoons
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