In 2026 and the two following years, state-owned companies will have to pay dividends amounting to 90% of their profits into the state budget, according to the State Chancellery's informative report "On possible increases in the revenue of state-owned companies", prepared for consideration at Tuesday's government sitting.

The informative report has restricted-access status, and its contents are therefore not available.

The Law on the State Budget for 2025 stipulates that for state-owned companies, public-private companies and companies controlled by a public entity in which the state is a member or shareholder, the minimum forecast share of profit payable in dividends in 2025 is 70% of the profit for the reporting year.

The draft Cabinet of Ministers minutes decision states that, in preparing the draft law "On the State Budget for 2026 and the Medium-Term Budget Framework for 2026, 2027 and 2028", the Ministry of Finance must take into account that for these companies the minimum forecast share of profit payable in dividends is 90% of the profit for the reporting year.

This share of profit is due to be paid out in dividends in 2026 (for 2025), in 2027 (for 2026) and in 2028 (for 2027).

At the same time, the draft minutes decision notes that a decision on a different share of profit payable in dividends may be taken under the procedure laid down by the Cabinet of Ministers.

With regard to certain large state-owned companies – AS "Latvenergo", AS "Latvijas valsts meži", AS "Augstsprieguma tīkls", AS "Latvijas loto" and VAS "Latvijas Valsts radio un televīzijas centrs" – the State Chancellery, together with the holders of the capital shares and with the involvement of the Ministry of Finance, will by 15 September assess and prepare a proposal for setting the level of dividends in 2026–2028 at no less than 90% of the profit for the reporting year, assessing each company individually alongside the volume of unimplemented investments, the planned medium-term operating strategy and other conditions.

The Ministry of Finance is set to be tasked with assessing amendments to legislation for the introduction of a linked lottery, in order to increase "Latvijas loto" payments into the state budget, and with submitting an informative report on the performance of this task to the Cabinet of Ministers by 30 December 2025.

The Ministry of Agriculture, in line with its own proposal, will have to assess amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers order of 21 January 2025 "On the maximum permissible volume of tree felling for 2026–2030", and the Minister for Agriculture will be tasked with submitting to the Cabinet of Ministers by 31 October proposals for amendments to the related legislation – the Law on the Conservation of Species and Habitats, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, the Forest Law, the Cabinet of Ministers regulations on tree felling in forests, the Cabinet of Ministers regulations "Procedure for determining losses caused to forests", the Cabinet of Ministers regulations "Procedure for assessing the environmental impact of a proposed activity", the Cabinet of Ministers regulations "Procedure by which the State Environmental Service issues technical regulations for a proposed activity and approves the proposed activity", as well as the Cabinet of Ministers regulations on restrictions on economic activity for which compensation is due and the conditions, procedure and amount of its payment.

The Ministry of Transport will be tasked with assessing the proposals put forward by VSIA "Latvijas valsts ceļi", VAS "Latvijas pasts" and VAS "Autotransporta direkcija" for revising the costs of delegated tasks by reducing the quality or supervision requirements imposed, as well as with continuing the assessment of an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in VAS "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs".

By 31 October, the Minister for Transport will have to submit to the Cabinet of Ministers a proposal for "Autotransporta direkcija" to assess the impact and put forward solutions to ensure that people without access to cashless payment options are not denied access to public services and to opportunities to travel.

Likewise, by 30 December 2025 the Minister for Transport will have to submit proposals on revising the requirements imposed on "Latvijas pasts", assessing those proposals in a broader context together with the Ministry of Transport's assessment of a change to the universal postal service (UPS) model.

The Ministry of Climate and Energy is set to be tasked with assessing the proposal by "Augstsprieguma tīkls" on the possibility of channelling congestion charge revenue when calculating the draft tariff for electricity transmission system services. The Ministry of Climate and Energy must also assess the proposal by VSIA "Latvijas Vides, ģeoloģijas un meteoroloģijas centrs" for amendments to its price list for paid services.

All holders of capital shares are set to be tasked with reviewing the companies' investment plans and assessing the need for additional resources to carry out investments, using the coordinating institution's guidelines for assessing alternative financing instruments for state-owned companies' investment projects, and with not treating the retention of a share of profit within the company as the sole source of investment funding.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/pieaudzis-atsavinato-degradeto-buvju-skaits-522737