These funds were found in the amount of 808,484 euros from the sub-program “Grant for providing free lunches for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students”, in the amount of 327,699 euros from the sub-program “High-class achievement sports”, in the amount of 188,303 euros from the sub-program “Sports Federation and sports events “and in the amount of 55,000 euros from the sub-program” Grant for the organization of international sports events of national significance in Latvia “.
At the same time, all reallocated funds in the amount of 1.37 million euros from the program “Contingency Funds” will be allocated to the Ministry of Education and Science for repayment of the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) state-guaranteed loan, including 385,985 euros for the 2021 payment of the state-guaranteed loan for Liepaja Olympic Center. repayment and 993 501 euros Daugavpils Olympic Center development project, Zemgale Olympic Center Jelgava project, Zemgale Olympic Center development project, project “Olympic Center” Ventspils “infrastructure development in the period from 2011-2013” and Olympic Center “Ventspils” development project ” Reconstruction of Ventspils Swimming Pool “, as well as for the partial repayment of the 2021 payment of state-guaranteed loans received for the completion of the development project” Reconstruction of Ventspils Swimming Pool “of the Olympic Center” Ventspils “.
Thus, the MES emphasizes that the draft orders do not have a direct impact on budget revenues or expenditures.
In the opinion of the Ministry of Education and Science, ensuring the performance of state functions in the sports sector at a constant level can be classified as a measure of special national importance, as it will ensure planned training of athletes and participation in sports competitions.
It is also believed that this will reduce the risk that in 2021 Latvian athletes and team sports teams will have to be withdrawn from participation in international sports competitions in which the athlete / team acquired the right to start in 2019 or 2020, as a result will not be endangered in previous years. efficiency and effectiveness of the funds invested.
At the same time, the MES emphasizes that this saves the state budget funds in the amount of 1,379,486 euros, which, by submitting relevant fiscally neutral proposals to the draft law “On the State Budget for 2021” and the draft law “On the Medium-Term Budget Framework for 2021, 2022 and 2023” “for consideration in the Saeima in the second reading, it is possible to redistribute internally to other sub – programs of the 2021 MES budget program” Sports “.
The Ministry of Education and Science plans to allocate the funds saved in the budget in the amount of 1,379,486 euros to next year’s budget for several sports programs, said Edgars Severs, Director of the Sports Department of the Ministry, at a meeting of the Sports Subcommittee of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Commission on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Education and Science offered a solution to allocate 1.37 million euros from its savings to next year’s budget, namely, 275,000 euros for the programs “Sports Federations and Sports Events”, 139,189 euros for the team sports team selection grant, “139,189 euros for high-performance sports” – 875 252 euros and a grant to the association “Latvian Paralympic Committee” for the development of adapted sports in the amount of 90 045 euros.
In general, Severs noted that budget lines will decrease dramatically in 2021, but this can be partly explained by the decision previously made in the Saeima to support the sports sector for three years, which ends in 2020.
The Director of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Education and Science emphasized that the Ministry submitted its priority measures in budget planning in the summer, and the first priority, in addition to teachers’ remuneration, was to provide basic funding from the state sports budget at a constant level. Unfortunately, given the external circumstances and the government’s priorities in general, this request was not supported, Severs said.
Severs also pointed out that the amount of funds created from the MES budget partially solves the problem only for the next year, but does not solve it in the following years. The Ministry of Education and Science has calculated that in order to ensure the fulfillment of state functions in the sports sector at a constant level, an additional 2.8 million euros are needed in the future.
Also, the issue of insufficient funding for the organization of international sports events of national significance in Latvia in 2021 and beyond, where on average 2.4 million euros would be needed, but the budget provides only 242,415 euros, also remains unresolved.
At the same time, Severs mentioned that the Ministry of Education and Science is planning a solution for the organization of traditional international sports competitions at the end of 2020 on the bobsleigh and sledge track “Sigulda”. co-financing of EUR 385 000.
It has already been reported that the state budget funding allocated to sports for the next year could decrease by 5.96 million euros, the draft budget for 2021 envisages, however, the redistribution made by the MES would introduce adjustments in the amount of the required funding.
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