On 10 December, President Edgars Rinkēvičs returned to the Saeima for reconsideration the law “Amendments to the Law on the Road User Charge”, adopted by the Saeima on 3 December this year.
“The materials used to draft the law show that the planned amendments will have a direct impact on legal and natural persons who own or operate freight vehicles with a gross weight exceeding 3 tonnes, used for the transport of goods on Latvia’s roads and subject to the road user charge. This applies to both national and international carriers. (…) Before the draft law was submitted to the Saeima, a public consultation was organized. Contrary to what is stated in the explanatory note to the law, two objections were received from organisations representing the sector. After the law was adopted, representatives of the road transport sector, as well as small and medium-sized businesses and farmers, also expressed concerns about the intended changes, particularly emphasising the late timing of the regulatory amendments, as businesses have already planned their commercial activities and concluded relevant contracts for the coming year,” the President states in his letter to the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa.
In his letter, the President expresses his belief that, following the adoption of the law in its final reading, several important issues remain, which the legislator should reconsider, and that therefore review of the law is necessary.
“The regulation will also indirectly impact other groups within society, such as consumers, due to the potential increase in the prices of goods and services. The legislative drafting materials merely note that these groups will be affected by the new regulation, but no sectoral impact assessment is available,” the President’s letter states.
The President points out that the legislator must be convinced that the proposed changes are appropriately targeted and can be applied without revising the exemptions from the road user charge. Alternatively, it may prove necessary to review and improve the relevant exemptions or introduce other support measures.
In the President’s view, it is necessary to ensure that the law is appropriate and consistent with the intended objectives. Therefore, on the basis of Article 71 of the Constitution, the President requests that the Saeima reconsider the law “Amendments to the Law on the Road User Charge”.