During the telework, the deputies of the Saeima have already received more than 200,000 euros in compensations. Members have been working remotely for more than a year. However, the parliamentarians have emphasized that they are also going to the Saeima during this time, so some of them continue to receive compensation for transport and apartments.
Members receive a salary for their work. However, they are also entitled to compensation for travel expenses or rent. The amount of compensation depends on the place of residence – the further away from Riga a parliamentarian lives, the higher the compensation he / she is entitled to.
Such compensations have been introduced to ensure equality between MEPs from the regions and their Riga counterparts.
The biggest compensations in June were received mainly by members of the opposition.
Photo: Latvian Television
–
–
Saeima deputy Jānis Vucāns from the Greens and Farmers Union explained: “This is because those deputies elected from the regions can participate in the work with the same intensity, because it is not possible to travel 200 kilometers to one side and the other side every day. “
Photo: Latvian Television
–
–
The Covid-19 pandemic forced many to change the format of work – the Saeima has also been working remotely for a long time. The first sitting of the remote parliament using the e-Saeima platform took place on 26 May last year. During this time, parliamentarians continued to pay transport and housing allowances. The amount of compensation has decreased since October of the previous year, but the largest compensation was in August.
Not all Members have applied for compensation, nor do they usually receive all the compensation they could be entitled to.
The parliamentarians have explained that during this time, while the work is taking place remotely, a large part of them continue to go to the Saeima. Also in the sittings of the parliament, the deputies mostly participated from their cabinets in the Saeima, but did not gather in one big hall, taking into account the epidemiological restrictions.
Photo: Latvian Television
–
–
“The situation could be different, because there are deputies who are more obliged to be here on the spot. Foreign policy relations have not stopped either, ”said Vucāns.
Meanwhile, Ainars Latkovskis, a deputy of the “New Unity”, noted: “If there is a wish to check, then in the Saeima, when entering each of the buildings, there is a pass system, where it is electronically registered who arrives at work on this day and when.”
Another important aspect is that many have concluded apartment lease agreements, which cannot be abruptly terminated for a while.
Andrei Klementjev, Member of Parliament (“Harmony”): “If a Member does not use transport, it is clear that he is not claiming compensation. With apartments, the real estate rented by Members is more complicated because the contracts are for four years, more often for a longer period and no landlord will allow Members not to pay or leave these apartments for 3-4 months. ”
The payment of compensation is also being verified. For example, a case is currently pending in a case in which the Saeima deputy Aldis Adamovičs (“New Unity”) is accused of fraudulent transport and residential rent compensation. Adamovich does not agree with the accusation.
“The Corruption Monitoring and Anti-Corruption Bureau monitors the adequacy of the use of compensation money in great detail [KNAB], we have seen a number of cases of Members being caught who may have misused compensation. I think that the KNAB continues to celebrate these cases, “said Krišjānis Feldmans, a deputy of the New Conservative Party.
Discussions on these Members’ allowances have been initiated on several occasions. This year, the Saeima also submitted a citizens’ initiative to replace the transport compensation of parliamentarians with public transport tickets. But for now, politicians are in no hurry to change this system.
–
Highlight text and press Ctrl+Enterto send the text to be edited!
Highlight text and press Report a bug buttons to send the text to be edited!
–
–
