Open letter

To the Prime Minister

Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš

A decision must not be the non-taking of a decision

We, the signatories of this open letter, are disappointed by the government's inability to make systemic development decisions. This poses a threat to the country's long-term development. The Prime Minister's remarks on the LTV programme "1:1" on 3 March this year clearly demonstrated a desire to avoid responsibility for seeing the forestry development process through to the end. And this is not the only example.

Latvian political indecision is well illustrated by the years-long unresolved issue of the mandatory procurement component (OIK), the protracted discussions surrounding the micro-enterprise tax, reforms in the education and health sectors, regional reform, and the issue of land use (including the aforementioned forestry).

In our opinion, it is possible to ask for the consensus of all social groups on reform issues that require political decisions, but it is impossible to achieve it.

In our opinion, this stance of yours creates what is known as a frozen conflict among people. Instead of doing their work and investing all their energy into Latvia's development through it, they are forced to waste their time and resources fighting each other for the opportunity to defend their views as loudly as possible and to combat the convictions of others.

In our opinion, with the government failing to act decisively and reforms lacking focus, we will always lag behind in development and will continue to lose our people, who will choose to leave Latvia and not raise their offspring here.

It is only normal that a democratic society has different views and interests, which are both heard and discussed before decisions are made. However, for the country to develop, reasoned decisions that promote the growth of the prosperity of Latvia's inhabitants must be made.

State President Egils Levits said in an address to the Cabinet of Ministers on 1 October 2019: "Reforms will always happen; we cannot avoid them, because otherwise the state will stagnate, crumble and fall apart within a few years. Reforms are necessary because they are the demands of modern life, and both the government, the state administration and civil servants must reckon with this. [...] The Cabinet of Ministers is the one that initiates and implements reforms, because reform is always a political issue. This means that one must decide whether and what kind of reform is needed, and discuss the content of this reform, which is a political matter."

Arnis Muižnieks, Forest Owners' Association of Latvia

Madars Kalniņš, Rūjiena Forest Owners' Association

Jānis Folkmanis, Forest Owners' Association "Bārbele"

Sigita Vaivade, Forest Owners' Association "Meža konsultants"

Aigars Grīnbergs, Kurzeme Forest Owners' Association

Grigorijs Rozentāls, Forest Owners' Cooperation Support Centre

Jurģis Jansons, Director of the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

Kristaps Klauss, Federation of the Latvian Forest Industry

Jānis Apsītis, Latvian Timber Manufacturers and Traders Association

Andis Araks, Association of Independent Forest Contractors of Latvia

Agris Koris, Latvian Woodworking Entrepreneurs and Exporters Association

Tālis Gaitnieks, academician, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

Juris Biķis, economist

Vilnis Rantiņš, Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries

Edgars Treibergs, Cooperation Council of Agricultural Organisations of Latvia

Normunds Stivriņš, Lake and Peat Research Centre

Pauls Rēvelis, Confederation of Forest Owners and Managers of Latvia

Māris Liopa, Chairman of the Forest Certification Council of Latvia

Ilze Ozola, Nature Resources Supervision Group

Linards Sisenis, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry at LLU

Haralds Barviks, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Hunters Association

Inguna Siņica, Latvian Forest Industry Trade Union

Ingrīda Krīgere, Member of the Board of the Latvian Peat Producers Association

Valērijs Kozlovs, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Latvian National Peat Society

Raimo Jansons, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Hunters' Cynological Association

Liene Sauka, Association of Latvian Hydro-reclamation Builders

Jānis Knipšis, Chairman of the Board of the Small Forest Owners Association

Uldis Biķis, Chairman of the Council of A/s Latvijas finieris