Welfare Minister Ramona Petravič visited Rēzekne municipality
On 17 April, Rēzekne municipality council was attended by Minister of Welfare Ramona Petravich, head of the Minister's Office Ringold Beinarovics and Director of the State Agency for Employment (SEA) Inara Shindariova.
In meeting the President of the Rēzekne council, Monweed Schwarz, Executive Director Janis Trošku and the head of the social service Sylvia Strankali, discussed a number of questions: the problem of social problems in the municipality, the progress of the deinstitutionalisation process, the role OF SEA in promoting employment and administrative territorial reform.
M. Mr Schwartz informed him that he had already worked on a number of occasions with the proposal, which would allow the state and local governments to deal jointly with employment and social problems, namely by proposing a portion of the funds paid by municipalities to socially vulnerable groups, the guaranteed minimum income (GMI), to return municipalities to the promotion of entrepreneurship.
“Currently in Rezekne, expenditure to cover GMES is 373 000 per year. If part of the amount was returned to the local government to promote entrepreneurship, we would be able to further support entrepreneurs who in turn could create new jobs”, acknowledged M. Schwartz. In particular, such distribution would be in municipalities with high unemployment and high social tension. In Rezekne municipality, one of the highest unemployment rates in the country - 16 % of the working population is unemployed.
The Welfare Minister Ramona Petravich acknowledged that she had a great deal of experience in business, and such measures would certainly be welcome, as entrepreneurs are the ones who pay taxes and form a national budget.
At least 14 projects with 30 thousand euros per year are supported by the Rēzekne municipality in the municipality OF Rezekne (rural economy development in Rezekne District) and have a real return. Ludza and Vilaka municipalities have also taken over such practices.
Diana Selecka, Public relations specialist of the municipality of Rezekne
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