In his letter, President of Latvia urges the Cabinet of Ministers to discuss with book and print media publishers’ associations a possible value-added tax (VAT) cut to 5% for distribution of printed and digital editions of instructional materials and original works and distribution and subscription of printed and digital editions of newspapers, magazines, bulletins and other periodicals.
‘It is the constitutional obligation of Latvian State to support creation and distribution of content rooted in Latvian culture and promote the development of Latvian language, therefore, government needs to find ways of promoting availability of original works written in Latvian and mass media to the public. This requires both the appropriate national policy and adequate financial tools catering to needs of those sectors,’ underlines President Levits.
Letter of the President Levits says: ‘Original works written in Latvian, and book publishing and distribution, are crucial for development of Latvian language and an important indicator of basic skill delivered by education – literacy. It is the duty of the government to implement efficient measures and tangible support to publishers printing and distributing original works in Latvian, which are essential in creating a society, which is well educated, creative, loyal and consolidated around Latvian language and culture.’
President of Latvia also underlines the significance of digital and print media in promoting effective public discourse in Latvia as a democratic country and adds: ‘As in many other countries, sustainability of these media in Latvia has come under threat in current economy. Digital and print media do not have sufficient revenue to continue to survive here in Latvia without state stimulus. Although demand for print media has always been stronger percentage wise, regional media are at an additional disadvantage because of higher distribution costs.’
According to President, current support to publishers and media in the form of reduced VAT rate of 12 % does not contribute to sustainable supply of original works and print media in Latvian. ‘State must reach out and provide efficient support to these sectors, which are crucial for the sustainability of the Latvian State and the nation,’ says Egils Levits.