Association members meet the President of Latvia before the World Economic Forum in Davos

During the meeting the members discussed with the President different issues about Latvian economic situation, introduction of euro, national tax policies and other socio-economic priorities, which the President intends to talk about at Davos forum.

"Davos is a great opportunity to build an idea of our country – the foreign media show great interest in Latvia now. I want to know your opinions about the most important preconditions for the development of the Latvian economics. “, accented Valdis Zatlers in his speech.

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Economist Uldis Osis: "I can agree with the President - our society and the Latvian investors require a positive signal, but those are the foreign markets we can thank for the stabilization. Unfortunately, in Latvia we can see a downward or pro-cyclical spiral policy, with all the ensuing consequences. We don’t have too many persons at the head of the State who could play in the "top league" - our political management is just at a "farm club" level. In the decision-making process often prevails populism, lack of knowledge and perspective, how to realize them. " Uldis Osis advice for The President debates in Davos - to recommend to the European Commission and other international financial organizations to ensure that the restrictions imposed on Latvia by the International Monetary Fund, would be also applied to those countries that made uncontrolled expansion of financial resources to less experienced countries like Latvia during the "fat years".

Martins Kazaks also pointed to the lack of consensus, which impedes the rapid development of Latvia in the near future. Imaginatively spoken, the world looks like a great ship we swam up to in a storm. Larger waves we have endured and now we are trying to talk to the ship. Instead of paddling together, everyone is running from one side of the boat to another. For similar reasons many years ago here in Daugava River sank the ship "Majakovskis" ... Now the main thing - not to make great stupidities, to balance the economy through structural changes, put on paper what to do and realize it with quality."

The euro question led to extensive discussions. "Latvian Bank has waived any right to carry out monetary policy. There are no other options then rapid steps to the introduction of euro ", said association member Martins Bondars.” We are having dry drill, because at the moment when we will join the euro zone, we will have no monetary policy option, and therefore we are now engaging in an internal devaluation - just as it should be done, for example in Greece."

"Referring to the Presidential Adviser call, to give advice on what to say in Davos, I am offering The President, to go to the Forum taking the President of the Latvian Bank with him and to announce at the plenary session of Euro: whereas the European Central Banks bureaucrats do not want to hear what recommend the Latvian economists and foreign experts to rescue the Latvian economy, namely, to allow Latvia to join the euro zone accelerated - we can no longer continue to make happy foreign banks and to worry about our neighbors. Here, in Latvia, it's time to think about our own nation’s development. And so we devaluate the lat for 30 percent, convert borrowers’ euro credits into lats and initiated discussions with banks about partial lost compensation.", offering his vision, said the association's President Ojars Kehris.