While previously PM Māris Kučinskis had said he'd like to reduce the number of public employees by a third, Krieviņš said that a 7% cut (5000 to 7000 people) is more likely.
It seems the number includes cutting job vacancies, of which there are 3,000 in the direct administration.
Krieviņš said the money saved in the reform could be channeled to public sector wages so that they reach at least 80% of the pay in the private sector for an equivalent job.
There's been talk of making Latvia's government leaner and more motivated for years. According to Krieviņš, "the state administration does not want to reform itself".
