In its 2023 Annual Report, the Central Financial and Contracting Agency (CFCA) has summarised highlights of the Agency's work over the past year - a dynamic period full of major initiatives and achievements, including major development projects, the completion of large-scale projects and the search for new solutions to unprecedented situations.
Anita Krūmiņa, Director of the CFCA, highlights the final phase of the 2014-2020 programming period of the European Union (EU) funds as the biggest highlight of the last year. However, alongside the intensive work on the closure of this period, the Agency was also very active on the launch of the 2021-2027 programming period for EU funds.
"The EU funds management system is well regulated, but at the same time it has many variables and is constantly evolving, because there is no single, ideal formula for monitoring the funds' investments, even at EU level. We learn from the practices of other Member States and other countries from us in the fair and targeted use of EU support to achieve a common goal - a better quality of life and environment for us all, as well as stable and sustainable economic growth!" says Anita Krūmiņa, Director of the CFCA.
Investments from EU funds
2014-2020 programming period
2023 has been an intense final phase before the closure of the period this year to facilitate the successful investment of all EU funding available to Latvia. The reporting period saw the last 3 calls for proposals for this period, 86 new project implementation contracts worth €96 million, 483 projects worth €518 million completed during the year and 581 projects still under implementation at the end of 2023.
2021-2027 programming period
36 calls for proposals were launched for €414 million - almost 10% of the total allocation of EU funds for the 2021-2027 period. 12 project implementation contracts for €284 million were signed for this period in 2023.
Recovery Fund (RF)
The CFLA launched 6 calls for proposals for € 201 million of the RF in 2023. 77 project implementation contracts were concluded with beneficiaries for € 209 million. A total of 107 RF-financed projects were under monitoring.
Development cooperation
In 2023, the CFLA actively implemented its development cooperation function: several visits of Latvian experts to Uzbekistan took place, the CFLA started its participation in the EU Development Cooperation Network in May, and the first large-scale international agreement on development cooperation outside the EU was signed in December.
Public-Private Partnership
In October, the largest public-private partnership (PPP) project in the Baltics to date - the construction of the Ķekava bypass - was completed. The opening of the bypass has been a long-awaited event for motorists and nearby residents, making traffic more convenient and smoother. For “Latvian State Roads (LSR) and the Ministry of Transport, the private partner Kekava ABT and the CFCA as the PPP project implementation monitoring authority, it also marks the end of a major phase of work that will continue for many years to come. The most important difference from other road infrastructure projects is the responsibility of the private partner to ensure the quality of the road for 20 years. LSR's commitment to implementing the project as a PPP has also enabled it to identify in practice the necessary improvements in procedures and the regulatory framework.
Customer assessment
The annual customer survey gathered more than 800 CFCA customers' evaluations of the quality of the CFCA's work, the functionality of the e-environment and desired improvements. The highest ratings were given for the respectful attitude of staff towards customers, the honesty and commitment of staff to providing all necessary information, and the result-oriented and professional staff. Clients particularly appreciated the CFCA staff and their cooperation with them, the CFCA's project implementation processes and overall project monitoring, as well as the honesty and openness of CFCA staff were also rated highly.
The report provides key information on the CFCA and its achievements over the past year: tasks completed, major changes in the CFLA's activities, the use of the CFCA budget, performance indicators and progress towards them, key developments, as well as plans for 2024.