Latvian MPs Submit Proposals for Sports Fund Law – Hope to End Funding Agony

The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) reports that multiple Saeima deputies have submitted proposals for the Sports Fund law, designed to bring predictability to sports financing. The proposals were filed by July 10, and will be reviewed by the Budget and Finance (Tax) Committee on July 15. An extraordinary Saeima session is expected in the last week of July to pass the law in final reading.

Deputies Evika Siliņa, Dāvis Mārtiņš Daugavietis, and Alīna Gendele jointly proposed allocating 3% of excise tax revenues from alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and non-alcoholic beverages to the Sports Fund. Similar proposals were submitted individually by deputies Andris Šuvajevs and Jānis Eglīts, mirroring the 3% allocation model used for the State Cultural Capital Fund. Deputy Jānis Dinēvičs added a proposal to include excess profits from gambling fees and taxes, while Kristaps Krištopans suggested diverting 10% of excise tax on non-alcoholic drinks with over 8g of sugar per 100ml, as well as energy drinks. Zane Skujiņa-Rubene proposed allocating the portion of mandatory social insurance contributions for foreign professional athletes that exceeds the minimum wage.

LOK President Raimonds Lazdiņš emphasized that these proposals offer a chance to correct a historical injustice – until 2001, sports and culture received funding from excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol, but the system was later abolished. Unlike culture, which restored its capital fund, sports has faced increasing financial unpredictability since the 2016 donation reform.

The new Sports Fund is planned to focus on three areas: high-performance sports, infrastructure maintenance, and major events. It is expected to begin operations on January 1, 2027, pending the law's adoption.