On Tuesday, at the meeting of the Budget and Finance (Tax) Commission of the Saeima, Siliņa and the Minister of Finance presented the draft budget prepared by the government. After the Prime Minister’s speech, the opposition MP Kristaps Kristopans (LPV) expressed that he was “a little fascinated” that not a single word was uttered in connection with “Rail Baltica“.
The budget envisages co-financing of “Rail Baltica” in the amount of 15%, but no other financing is planned. The politician said that the parliamentary commission of inquiry has concluded that the central station needs 114 million euros from the national budget. Also, the offers of the Ministry of Transport (MoT) will cost additional funding, the opposition member emphasized.
“It is inevitable that if we want to continue the project of the century, we will have to open our wallets,” said Kristopan.
The Prime Minister replied that the government was forced to cut 50 million euros of funding in the ministries. “I don’t see how we can find additional funding for Rail Baltica in the current budget”, said Siliņa.
The Prime Minister expects a clear vision from the MoU, “Rail Baltica” and “European Railway Lines” on how they will reduce their expenses, including salary expenses. Also, Silina will wait for a report from the parliamentary investigation commission. “If you see where 118 million euros can be found in the budget, we will, of course, implement the Saeima’s decision,” Siliņa said.
As reported, the Saeima’s Budget and Finance (Tax) Commission today starts reviewing the state budget for 2025 and the budget framework for 2025, 2026 and 2027.