1. Actual Progress Achieved in Implementation of Projects 2016 i SWISS - LATVIAN COOPERATION PROGRAMME
Latvia, September 2016

2. Financial progress by priority sectors
Priority sector
Project
Grant
Completion date
Allocation, million CHF
Utilised vs committed till
Reimbursements vs commitment till
1.Security, stability and support for reforms
School busses project
13,77
100%
Jun 2011
Courts project 8
99,5%
Dec 2013
Fire safety project
2,38
93,6%
May 2015
Youth centres’ project 4
83,8%
76,2%
Mar 2017
2.Environment and infrastructure
Sarkandaugava’s project 13
73,8%
65,9%
Feb 2017
3.Promotion of the Private Sector
Micro lending programme
7,92
Jan 2015
Financial reporting project
1,53
80%
79%
Jun 2016
4.Human and Social Development
Swiss researchers’ project
0,22
97,3%
Sep 2015
Scholarship fund/ CRUS
2,1* 97
Mar 2016
5.Special allocations
PPF
0,14
NGO fund
3,5
95,2%
Apr 2013
TAF
0,13
87%
83,9%
Jun 2017
Total 12
56,7
91,6%
89%
*Excluding CRUS management and evaluation committee costs

3. Scholarship Fund - Completed in March 2016
Specific objective
Promoted economic growth and enhanced employment conditions
27 (out of 65 received) fellowships (41%) in 6 open calls were approved short term visits took place
Research fields like:
- Engineering Sciences;
- Environmental Sciences;
- Legal and Social Sciences;
- Physics and Biology
50 international research publications, incl. 30 together with Swiss researchers
7 higher education and research institutions from Latvia and
16 - from Switzerland were involved

4. Youth Initiatives Project - Ongoing till March 2017 (Progress)
Specific objectives
Promoted economic growth and enhanced employment conditions
Enhanced social security
Enhanced security and safety
Overall achievement
Access to youth activities and social networking by already opened 22 (out of 25 – initial plan was 17) youth centres is provided
Minimized regional disparities of human capital already by organized 161 (out of 160) trainings and 11 (out of 13) events in total at least 4,5 thsd. youth and persons involved in youth work
15 (out of 15) methodological materials are developed
youth centers already working
youth centres to be opened by the end of December 2016

5. Youth Centers' Project (Plan I)
Publicity - Opening events of 3 youth centres:
in Balvi –
in Valka – December 2016
in Skrunda– December 2016
Possible start of Saulkrasti multifunctional youth initiative centre’s renovation – September 2016
Visit to Switzerland for persons involved in youth work at Multifunctional Youth Initiative Centres – November 2016
Signing agreements with 25 municipalities for additional inventory purchase – IV Quarter 2016

6. Youth Centers' Project (Plan II)
In total 21 trainings for youth and persons involved in youth work –September March 2017
Regional conference in Riga region about social media`s role in youth work – October 2016
National forum in Jurmala about the recognition of acquired competences in non-formal education and their use in labour market – November 2016;
Production of 2 methodic materials – September/ October 2016
Project Final evaluation – III Quarter 2016 – I Quarter 2017
Closing publicity event – March 2017

7. Sarkandaugava’s Project - ongoing till February 2017 (Progress)
Reduced pollution inflow in the Daugava River and people protected from hazardous pollution by pumped out 995 tons (111%) in the Site I/II and 521 tons (97%) in the Site III of floating oil products in groundwater
Waterproof barrier (328 meters) including drainage installed
6`008 tons of polluted ground are excavated and transported to landfill
Specific objective
Preserved environment

8. Sarkandaugava’s Project (Plan)
Extending of project till 13 June 2017
Due to savings:
additional remediation works will be performed in all 3 sites;
planed to install additional 35 meters of Waterproof barrier (already installed 328 metres);
Procurement for the Assessment of the legal environment of the remediation of the polluted sites and suggestions for its improvements
Closing publicity event – May 2017

9. Financial Reporting Project - ongoing till June 2017 (Progress)
Specific objective
Promoted economic growth and enhanced employment conditions
17 seminars were delivered to 621 participants from various Latvian institutions by the World Bank and Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance activities:
IT system for Latvian medium and small size commercial companies of sworn auditors is developed and operational from September 2015
IT Software system for the oversight of the sworn auditors (Database) – contract signed in July 2016 and planned to be delivered till the end April 2017.
1 training for tax inspectors
World Bank activities:
all planned 4 final reports about tax, accounting and audit reporting delivered to Ministry of Finance;
and 1 study visit «Law to implement Base Erosion and Profit Shifting - related transfer pricing requirements» to Vienna organized

10. Financial Reporting Project (Plan)
Additional capacity building activities for Ministry of Finance and Latvian Association of Sworn Auditors IV Quarter 2016 – I Quarter 2017:
5 guidelines for Ministry of Finance, auditors, local municipalities, micro companies;
Methodology for evaluating shadow economy;
Updated sworn auditors qualification examination programs;
Developed training programm for sworn auditor qualification exams.
Seminar on Risk based Tax Assessment (a study trip to Netherlands) – September 2016
Closing publicity event – May 2017

11. Reimbursement Plan September 2016 – June 2017
Projects in implementation
CHF
% of committed grant
Sarkandaugava
34,1
Youth centres
23,8
Financial reporting 21
TAF
21 310
16,1
Total
10*
* % of total committed grant

12. Publicity/Swissness
The Switzerland’s high level delegation visited company Ltd.» KnK Coating» in April 2016 which received loan under the Microlending Programme in Latvia.

13. Publicity/Swissness – Modernization of Courts Project
Court Administration on 23 October 2015 in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was awarded with a special “Crystal Scales of Justice” prize for installed court’s recordings/ hearing equipments in Modernization of Courts project. The event was organized by the Council of Europe, rewarding innovative judicial practices applied by European judicial institutions

14. Publicity Closing Event (1)
Public activities planned: planting trees, flower bed making, cleaning up of some territory
Time: the best time for tree planting - beginning of May 2017
Location: Park in Riga/territory like Riga Botanical Garden
Participants from Swiss Embassy, Swiss partners, NCU, Executing Agencies and neighbour countries
Planned entertaining activities while working to show Swiss culture, Swiss - Latvian cooperation
Symbolic plaque /corner stone could be placed near to indicate financial support of the Swiss Programme and this event

15. Publicity Closing Event (2)
This public event will match with The Big Cleanup Over All Latvia, where Latvian citizens voluntary clean up their surroundings making Latvia cleaner and greener
Other activities planned: to create infographics on the Swiss Programme, showing financial support and the most important results achieved:
for different purposes, including communication with journalists, at the events and on social media;
for national and regional media to show the results of the Swiss Contribution

16. Thank you for your attention. More information on: www
Thank you for your attention! More information on: