Latvia to reduce number of municipalities by two-thirds

The Latvian government on Tuesday approved a plan of the territorial reform that envisages to reduce the number of municipalities in the country by approximately two-thirds.

Thirty-six municipalities will be created in Latvia instead of the current 119, according to the plan drafted by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development.

The plan foresees creation of much larger and economically stronger municipalities around Latvia's largest cities and development centers, which would facilitate the provision of high-quality municipal services.

The reform will "decrease the current inequality among the municipalities", Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Juris Puce said at the meeting of the government.

"The municipalities will have the capacity to carry out development projects and offer improved services to the population," Puce noted.

"This is a long-term vision and an opportunity for Latvia," the minister emphasized.

Currently, many municipalities are too small and are not able to fulfill all their functions.

The ministry will by mid-November draft a bill on the territorial reform that will be submitted to the parliament.