Businessman: Latvia Lacks Accountability for Wasting Taxpayer Money

Latvia's economy can be damaged not only by wrong political decisions but also by irresponsible handling of taxpayers' money. That was the message from Māris Rēvalds, chairman of the board of Veselības centrs 4, on the TV24 programme "Kārtības rullis". He criticised the lack of accountability for wasteful and ill-considered decisions, stressing that the whole national economy feels the consequences. The report was published on 16 October 2026.

Considered spending

Rēvalds noted that taxpayers' money is earned with great effort, so its use must be thoughtful and responsible. In his view, the most serious cases are those where public funds are wasted or used inefficiently and no result can later be seen to justify the spending. The businessman called such conduct economic crimes.

Lack of accountability

He expressed bafflement that appropriate responsibility is not demanded for such actions. In his view, the consequences for managers at various levels often amount to losing their post, and some of them later return to other positions. Legal liability does not always follow for the harm done either. Rēvalds argued that people who make flawed or irresponsible decisions do not always feel the consequences, and said such people have "to a large extent destroyed Latvia's economy".

He believes that the lack of accountability for handling public funds could, over the long term, harm Latvia's economy and reduce public trust in state administration. Without real responsibility for decisions, he said, it is hard to expect significant change.

Rēvalds stressed that taxpayers have the right to expect their money to be used sensibly, and that those responsible for wasting it cannot simply continue their careers as if nothing had happened.