Latvia is the third poorest country in the European Union
Author: Aija Lokenbaha
In the field of anti-poverty policy, Latvia is the third poorest and most marginalized country, with a dramatic increase in the gap between the poor and the rich in recent years. The anti-discrimination policy in Latvia has not been implemented and since 2012, when the European Commission has called for the fight against poverty to be focused on the recommendations, none of the Latvian governments have given any special attention to these issues.
The gap between the poor and the rich inhabitants of Latvia has dramatically increased, which has served as a result of Latvia's unfortunate social and economic policy, as well as Latvia's biggest problem of inappropriate dissipation of financial resources.
While the majority of Latvian pensioners have a monthly pension of around 250 Eur and a majority of Latvia's population salaries do not exceed 1000 euros per month, however, you can see nowhere such a large range of luxury cars as in Latvia. The visitors of Latvia are judged to be more like Monaco. 2018 in Latvia sold 58 Bentleys. According to these statistics, Latvia is a very rich country and rises even higher than the prosperous England, Bentleys homeland, counting the number of cars sold against the population. (In England, 2018 sold 1542, in Europe 3135, in the world by 9560 machines).
How does the contrast in everyday life be explained? Latvia's tax policy has remained close to the tax system of the Soviet Union – contrary to the progressive remuneration taxes of the senior ES Member States. As a result in Latvia, the poor pays more, rich less. Approximately 25% of Latvia's population meets the status of the person at risk of poverty and still continues to pay taxes. In addition, social services, housing, food, and health care are not always available to such persons.
The stagnating economic situation in Latvia has created the nation's unbelief in its elected representatives in government. Observing unjustified budget wastage and loud corruption scandals year by year, people lost faith in democracy and equality. In recent years, nearly a quarter of Latvia's economically active population left the country and were searching for a better life for England, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and other EU countries.
The implementation of social Sustainability development goals (SDG) is of global importance and indispensable for mankind, but also for each individual country with its citizens, this is of utmost importance and needs – perhaps the only way for the country to survive.
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