National Development Plan 2014-2020
The National Development Plan 2014–2020 (NDP2020) is hierarchically the highest national-level medium-term planning document. NDP2020 is closely related to the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030 and the National Reform Programme for the Implementation of the EU2020 Strategy. The goal of NDP2020 is to agree upon the most important medium-term priorities, areas of action, objectives and the indicators of their implementation. NDP2020 was developed in cooperation of the experts at the Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre with the social and cooperation partners of the government, government ministries, planning regions and local governments. Latvia’s long-term vision acknowledges the intrinsic value of culture in sustainable development of the country. Its strength lies in active and responsible citizens, their safety, values and belonging to Latvia, opportunity to achieve their goals, as well as the richness of language and knowledge of other languages. Unique values created in economy, science and culture will be known outside Latvia. Riga will be an important cultural, tourism and business centre in the middle of the Baltic Sea region. Urban-rural partnership will ensure a high quality of life in the entire territory of Latvia. NDP2020 acknowledges that culture and creativity is at the heart of country’s competitive advantage: in a globalised and digitalised world in which the competitive advantage of a nation is increasingly determined by creative ideas transferred to innovative products and services, Latvian population has given rise to creative business activity thanks to widely available new technology and adult education programmes. They have created employment for themselves and others and are able successfully to compete with their products and services in the global market.
The Government-approved guiding principle of NDP2020 is an “economic breakthrough” and it has three priorities – “Growth of the National Economy”, “Human Securitability” and “Growth for Regions”. The following individual measures are set in NDP2020 related to culture and creative industries: 1)By developing a specialised assistance instrument, support the creative industry to develop culture-based investment and promote partnerships between culture, science and business in boosting the export capacity of businesses in the creative industries and the international competitiveness of the country; 2)Support for design projects of the creative industries that ensure the development of new products for export and their implementation in production; 3)Support shaping national identity, through traditional and innovative culture (contemporary art, traditional art, film, literature) by promoting cooperation among different social groups; 4)Promotion of opportunities for social integration, including learning Latvian language, information on basic rights, education, health, employment, culture and other areas; 5)Promotion of return migration and preservation of the identity of Latvian nationals living abroad, including development of the global network, events in Latvia, availability of education and culture abroad and support measures to promote return migration; 6)Developing the required infrastructure of Riga for the performance of the functions of a regional metropolis (including in tourism, culture, science and raising of investment); 7)Development of an integrated selection of export oriented tourism, cultural, health and natural capital infrastructure products and services; 8)Support to the activities of cultural institutions, local businesses and traditional artisans by developing products and services on the basis of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Achieving the NDP2020 is a goal for the state administration, local governments, businesses, non-governmental organisations and society as a whole. NDP2020 will serve as the foundation for planning investments from the state budget the EU Structural Funds and other foreign financial assistance and the planning of medium-term and annual budgets in order to secure the necessary resources for long-term sustainable development. NDP2020 defines the medium-term goals for national development and specific outcomes to monitor their attainment – along with the corresponding target values for 2020, as well as individual measures which, if implemented, will ensure the attainment of the goals. Results expected related to culture and creative industries: 1.6% share of creative industries exports in total exports in 2020 compared to 1.09 % in 2009; 7.5% proportion of businesses operating in the culture and creative sectors in the total number of businesses in 2020 compared to 6% in 2009; 8.1% share of consumption for recreation and culture as a percentage of the total household expenditure for consumption in 2020 compared to 7% in 2010; 200 - attendance of cultural events per year (per 100 inhabitants) in 2020 compared to 181.7 in 2008; 3 participants in amateur art groups (per 100 inhabitants) in 2020 compared to 2.7 in 2008. Indicators: Share of creative industries exports in total exports (%); Proportion of businesses operating in the culture and creative sectors in the total number of businesses (%); Share of consumption for recreation and culture as a percentage of the total household expenditure for consumption (%); Attendance of cultural events per year (per 100 inhabitants); Number of participants in amateur art groups (per 100 inhabitants).
The programming documents for European Union and other foreign financial instruments for 2014–2020 are being developed on the basis of the priorities and objectives defined in the NDP2020. The NDP2020 is implemented through: a) funds from the state and local government budgets; b) EU policy instruments: the Cohesion Fund, the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy funds and other EU funds; c) other foreign financial instruments; d) private funding. The model of public and private partnerships could be one of the potential forms of funding for the implementation of the measures envisaged in NDP2020. The procedure for financing the NDP2020 is prescribed by the Law on Budget and Financial Management. In accordance with the budget timetable approved for each year, the Cabinet of Ministers ratifies an updated volume of medium-term budgetary objectives, priority areas of development, governmental fiscal policy objectives, GDP forecasts, state budget revenue forecasts and the fiscal balance of the state budget, while complying with fiscal discipline requirements. In accordance with the Medium-Term Budget Framework Law, in preparing budgetary requests, the ministries and other central state institutions specify the medium-term budgetary objectives and priority development areas for each year of the period of that Law, directed towards the attainment of the goals and implementation of the priorities defined in NDP2020. In preparing the annual budgetary request, the ministries and other central state institutions draft the new policy initiatives based on the national development priorities and goals set forth in NDP2020. The Ministry of Finance and the Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre are responsible for analysing the requests to ensure consistency with NDP2020. In accordance with the provisions of the Development Planning System Law, the drafting of programming documents for the European Union and other foreign financing instruments for 2014–2020 prioritises the solutions proposed in NDP2020.