Inga Vilka

• senior researcher at University of Latvia

Local and regional governments have always been important players in economic development. They create jobs as employers and as purchasers of inputs from the private sector. Local governments are often responsible for regulating local economic activities and providing the social and physical infrastructure which complements private economic activit...

The purpose of the study "The Municipal Possibilities for Influencing the Development of the Local Economy" is to give an insight into the legitimate ability of local governments to support a specific group of entrepreneurs or certain components of the workforce to support local development priorities. The study is intended as an assistant to provi...

The aim of this report is to provide a basis for formulating policy relevant conclusions and recommendations about the economic performance, development challenges and preconditions of Small and Medium-Sized Urban Areas (SMUAs).

The administrative–territorial structure of local government in the three Baltic countries is very different. In Lithuania, administrative–territorial reorganisation was achieved quickly using command methods, by removing local governments at the municipal level, leaving local governments at county level with average population over 60,000, among t...

This case study of Latvian local governments focuses on the qualitative aspects of reform legislation passed and implemented between 1990 and 2003 as the best available measures of changes made. Special attention is given to historical influences and inherited Soviet practices, the uncertain and conflicting value systems of reformers, and a gradual...

Local government reforms have been undertaken in all three Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. The implementation of local government reforms is one of the most important tasks in the transition period from a command economy to a free market economy. There are some common features of organization of local government reforms in Latvia, Es...

Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, since returning to independence, have experienced a transition period from a command economy to a free market economy. One of the most important tasks in the transition period is to carry out local government reforms which have been undertaken in all three Baltic states. The main goals of the local government reforms...

The task of state is to realize such regional policy which would decrease unfavourable territorial differences. Standardization of indicators with the following calculation of territorial development index is used for indentification the assisted territories. Standard values are calculated in such way: the difference between concrete value of indic...

Further development of state adminstration and local government reforms is connected with the use of such issues and principles as decentralisation and deconcentration of public administration, separation of strategy from the provision of services, diminishing the gap between democracy and efficiency, enhancing the citizens participation and mutual...