Latvian Political Monitor

‼️I WANT TO ADDRESS ALL SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE 👉🏽 Currently, hairdressers, masseurs, manicurists, trainers, nannies, accountants, translators, electricians, plumbers, etc., are either registered as a self-employed person (economic operator), or as an IK (individual merchant), or as an SIA, or have not officially registered at all. It is important to mention that in recent years, the share of the shadow economy is estimated at around 21–25% But I do not want to punish or shame anyone. I believe that the state should also be accommodating to 'small entrepreneurs' and improve tax payment criteria. It is no secret that not only high taxes discourage people from working legally in their profession, but also the complicated system where you have to do accounting yourself or hire an accountant, prepare declarations, show receipts, etc., etc. As a result, large taxes are paid, the hassle around all this has been considerable and, it must be said, even disproportionate to what a person ultimately earns to make a living for themselves and even their family. I see a much simpler solution: a flat 10% tax for all who work for themselves, without declarations, without accountants, without bureaucracy. Everything happens automatically through a single work account, where payment for services provided is received from clients and 10% is automatically deducted in taxes. It is all very simple and transparent, without unnecessary bureaucracy. Furthermore, social contributions in this model would be voluntary. So each person can choose — pay only these 10% or also pay an additional social tax to increase pension savings and social guarantees, but in any case the system would be simplified - without unnecessary bureaucracy. If Latvia had a simplified 10% tax for self-employed people, would you use it? Therefore, I have a big request - please fill out this short anonymous questionnaire, which will take half a minute and is completely anonymous! It will greatly help me in my future work in the Saeima, defending the interests of self-employed people. Please also forward this post to your friends, relatives, acquaintances who are self-employed. Thank you in advance! 🙏🏽 Link to the questionnaire⤵️ https://t.co/xehg9vl1fv

@SIFlv @EdvardsRatnieks They can't even keep track of their own funding. https://t.co/38HdOlRIxx https://t.co/M63uYzyWl4

Is Briškens an enemy of the state? Here is an excerpt from the SIF-organized conference. Briškens believes that national security is a false dilemma and that the raids proposed by @EdvardsRatnieks to catch illegal immigrants are bad because they scare away… illegal immigrants!? https://t.co/WuOaLNff1X https://t.co/DieNZxoqPV

@bizenajs_V2 1. Latvian youth are still dissatisfied that they are required to know Russian and lack opportunities for self-realization. 2. To begin with, these funds could be redirected to reducing tuition fees or increasing budget-funded places for representatives of critically needed professions.

@vitols_andris Only Andris Vītols could ask something like that. Here's a tough nut for you today – what are the connections between the government and the Cabinet of Ministers, policy direction, and the SIF conference, where their representatives speak?

@SuipeJanis Thank you for the analysis 🙏🏻

@NeredzamaGaisma Of course, the question also remains topical: how much of the SIF and immigrant attraction do they still take their share?

The government doesn't care about Latvian youth, my review from the conference organized by SIF https://t.co/xyGzgzWx87

@Gaidis_Kukulis @eliina_balode The army demands to demolish the railway tracks located near the Russian border. It is considered a direct threat to Latvia. These are national security interests. They should go get checked if Ukraine shows up everywhere 🤡

@KStcuk @eliina_balode I also care about Latvia's security, I trust the Latvian army

@JanisVoins @eliina_balode I don't see how the idea of the Constitution's preamble is a foreign symbol; I think we'd be on the same wavelength as Čakste.

While Russia has been murdering Ukrainians for four years and threatens Lithuania with a military strike, our government's spineless bigwigs respond to the call to the National Armed Forces that they need to think. https://t.co/CJCx3K2aCX

we could eliminate the countless bureaucratic, even absurd MM obstacles; then the EP would not have to adopt the report I led with the revealed countless military mobility absurdities, if everything were so rosy. I will only mention a few examples of how it really is:

In 2023, while serving as Minister of Culture, I made the decision to stop the practice of automatically extending the employment contracts of board members of state-owned companies, based solely on evaluation results.

🤷‍♂️Are Russian citizens more important than Latvian citizens? ☝️Government-supported decision—allow only those declared here to be treated with state money. 🤷‍♂️Perhaps that is correct! ➡️However, free medicine will continue for RUS and BLR citizens living here, it costs 30 million. https://t.co/c6FMQrOoOK

What is happening with the 'Rail Baltica' project, what will it require from the budget next year and in the coming years? And is the tension between government coalition partners being reduced? We grill Transport Minister Atis Švinka (P). https://t.co/wGQljsrXXh