Bureaucracy Overhaul Leader Unclear, PM Says

Decision on Working Group Head Expected by Autumn

Prime Minister **Evika Siliņa** indicated Tuesday that clarity on who will steer a government initiative to slash public sector red tape may not emerge until August or September.

Efforts to Streamline Government Underway

The coalition government has publicly committed to reducing bureaucratic processes, having announced the formation of a dedicated working group in March. This initiative followed the approval of a 21-point plan aimed at tackling bureaucracy in April.

Currently, no specific individual has been designated to lead this new body. However, **Siliņa** noted that preliminary ideas are being considered.

Industry Calls for Focused Leadership

Aigars Rostovskis, Chairman of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK), stressed the need for a single, responsible leader for the bureaucracy reduction efforts. He suggested this individual could come from the private sector and must command public trust.

“Then it would be like this person in charge with a small team of experts. We believe that it would not even be reimbursable from the state budget. It would be on a voluntary basis. Some proposals would come together, and we would then discuss them in this group that has been established. But in the end, the decisions still have to be made by politicians, the Cabinet of Ministers, maybe parliament, and to a large extent that is where the decision lies,” said Rostovskis.

Both the Prime Minister and Rostovskis emphasized the necessity of a leader fully dedicated to the task. This suggests a full-time role, unless the chosen candidate possesses exceptional efficiency to manage multiple responsibilities.

The exact structure and responsibilities of the group, including the final decision-making authority, remain to be determined.

“We will definitely ‘mature’ the idea a bit, we will understand what the best way is. We already have some kind of seed that could be a group of people. We need to understand what kind of team these people would be willing to work in. Politicians also definitely have to accept that such a group is operating and give this mandate credibility. Because it is clear that this means that it will be much more intensive work. And certainly at least the group leader must be free from any other duties. It takes some time – to also adjust the calendar of [finding] the potential leader. Because, yes, we are thinking about it right now, and most likely in August or September it could also become clear who this group would be,” said Siliņa.

Globally, efforts to reduce administrative burdens are ongoing. For example, the European Union aims to cut reporting requirements for businesses by 25% by 2027, a target that reflects the widespread challenge of excessive bureaucracy (European Commission).