In order to avoid possible litigation with builders and the return of hundreds of millions of euros to EU structures, the Ministry of Transport calls for the allocation of an additional 33.567 million euros from the Latvian state budget to fulfill the obligations assumed for the construction of Rail Baltica stations at the Riga central railway hub and at the Riga airport. This is evidenced by the report on the construction of international passenger stations and the Rail Baltica infrastructure submitted for approval by the ministry. However, the fly in the ointment may be the fact that already in July it may become clear how much money will be raised during the next competition. While the responsible ministry and project implementers are looking for money, construction work at the Riga Central Station has calmed down. The executive director of Bererix, Guntis Aboltins-Abolins, confirmed that the main work is now concentrated near the Daugava, in the construction area of the new Rail Baltica bridge. Commenting on the payment for work performed, Aboltins-Abolins admits that payment in the amount of 3.8 million euros for work performed in December 2023 is legally overdue. At the same time, there are also invoices that have been presented for payment and/or are in the process of presentation. “The situation is difficult, at present we are informed that the customer and the ministry are looking for solutions. We hope that the issue with the debt will be resolved as soon as possible,” he says.
