In April of this year, the Ministry of Economy published a report stating that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) would increase from EUR 40.3 billion to EUR 8 billion between 2023 and 2035, doubling. In June, Morten Hansen, head of the economics department at the Riga School of Economics, published a column on the lsm.lv portal in which he expressed doubt that the stated goal could be achieved. Delfi Bizness spoke with other economists to find out whether the mission was truly impossible. "I often say – look at Lithuania, why it has outpaced Latvia so much, and try to learn from it," says Hansen. "I don't have a full answer to the question of what they have done, but it is impressive." Delfi Bizness asked the Ministry of Economy what they thought of Hansen's arguments, but did not receive an answer. Other economists also believe that it will be difficult to achieve 4% annual growth.
