RIGA, Dec 9 (LETA) - Local governments want the functions of the would-be administrative regions to include the development of local roads and vocational education, representatives of several local governments told the Saeima Public Administration and Local Governments Committee. 

At Wednesday's meeting, the Public Administration and Local Governments Committee heard the conceptual report "On the creation of administrative regions", drawn up by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Maris Pukis, an adviser to the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, said after the report's presentation that the most important question is whether the regions are being created in order to promote Latvia's development or they are created as "slightly brushed up planning regions". 

Carnikava regional mayor Daiga Mierina (Greens/Farmers) indicated that it is important for the new regions to have not only planning but also implementational functions. "If the regions only continue to plan documents and have no leverage to implement them, they are pointless," she said. 

She said that the government is already offering local authorities to take charge of the smaller roads and some local authorities are already doing so. However, the central government does not allocate money for the repairs of these roads and this should change when the new administrative regions are created so that the regions could coordinate road renovation works, receiving government support.

Rundale regional mayor Aivars Okmanis (For the People and the Land) said that the new administrative units should authorized to plan public transport and repairs of local roads in their territory. 

He also believes that the regions should be given more say in vocational education. The Vidzeme planning region expressed a similar opinion, noting that the Education and Science Ministry is paying little attention to regional policy.