32 applicants will compete for the post of LIAA director in the second round after 52 people applied for the important post.
In the first round, the commission evaluated the documents submitted by the applicants and their compliance with the mandatory requirements.
In the second round of the competition, the applicants will have explain to the competition commission their motivation for seeking the position of director of the LIAA, answer the questions asked by the commission and present their vision of the priority development directions of the LIAA, including whether it is necessary to abandon any existing development directions.
In the anticipated third round of selection, applicants' management competencies such as strategic vision, orientation towards achieving results, ability to make decisions and take responsibility, change management, and team management will be tested, according to a government release – though the precise manner in which these things will be tested was not specified.
At the end of the competition, the applicant with the highest evaluation will be recommended to the Minister of Economy for appointment.
The evaluation committee of the tender applicants is headed by the director of the State Chancellery, Jānis Citskovskis. Its members include Andris Bite, president of the Confederation of Latvian Employers, Gints Kaminskis, chairman of the Latvian Union of Local Governments, Edmunds Valantis, state secretary of the Ministry of Economy, and Katrīna Zariņa, board member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Also, independent observers from the Council of Foreign Investors in Latvia (FICIL) were involved in the assessment of applicants.
Whoever does finally get the job will find themselves in a high-pressure and demanding role. LIAA works to increase the exports and competitiveness of Latvian companies, facilitate foreign investment and implement tourism development and innovation policies. In return they can expect a wage of 6,500 per month before taxes.
As previously reported by LSM, previous LIAA head Kaspars Rožkalns quit in September 2023, citing a "lack of clear priorities at the state level in arranging the business environment". Rožkalns was appointed in January 2020.
Meanwhile another prominent vacancy has attracted considerably less interest. The evaluation committee of applicants for the post of General Director of the State Environmental Service has decided to advance one applicant to the third round of the competition. A total of nine applicants applied for the competition, six of whom competed in the second round of selection.
