On 14 February 2020, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development developed and submitted to the public consultation the draft regulation of the Cabinet, “Amendments to the Procedures for Implementation, Evaluation and Financing of the Reigring Support Action”, in order to make applications for remigrants more available for receiving financial support for the commencement of economic activities. . The project provides that long-term absences will also be demonstrated by a statement of foreign residence issued by a foreign population register, or by a statement of the foreign tax administration authority regarding foreign tax payments made.
Ministry has been holding a grant contest for two consecutive years with a view to providing support for the commencement and implementation of the economic activity of remigrants. . Support is particularly important for those people who return to Latvia from a long-term absence – live in foreign countries for at least three years and want to start their economic activities. U. As part of regional remigration measures, 388 families, or 1055 people, have returned to Latvia between mid-March 2018 and the end of December 2019. Meanwhile, the interest in financial support for economic activities over two years has been shown by 349 interested parties, of which 32 applications were submitted, while 14 projects were supported. This year, EUR 200 000 is earmarked for the financing of the remigration aid measure.
However, the majority of remigrants who showed an interest in receiving the aid failed to qualify for the tender and fulfil one of the essential criteria – to certify a long-standing absence with the indication of the declared foreign address in the Population Register. Such a criterion was chosen so that, without requesting additional information, the Planning Region Assessment Commission could verify the existence of a long-term absence for the participant in the remigration support measure.
In order to make it more accessible to potential remigrants to apply for grants, WE MAY have developed a draft regulation that provides that long-term absences can be demonstrated not only by the information contained in the Population Register, but also by information on resident income tax payments made abroad and mandatory national social security contributions certified by statements from the competent authorities of a foreign state. The project also provides that long-term absences can also be demonstrated by a statement of foreign residence issued by a foreign population register.
The draft rules are designed to carry out the task set out in the government declaration: to continue the remigration programme, as well as to implement A priority measure for 2019-2021, as set out in the Diaspora Law, and to develop regional remigration measures.
Other information:
Public Relations Department
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Tel. 20200305; 67026533, email: prese@varam.gov.lv