Today, November 7, at the press conference organised by the Association of Economists 2010, the winner of the prestigious Spīdola Prize 2006, and the mass media were acquainted with the tasks for the national economy set by the Association, and the implementation of those is a challenge to be solved by the new parliament and the new Government.

This year, the Spīdola Prize, founded by the Association of Economists 2010, will be awarded to Ingrīda Blūma, Board Chairperson of Hansabanka. The prize is being awarded to her for the creation of a successful, open, innovative and socially responsible financial institution in Latvia, which is able to provide its clients with financial solutions which conform to the principles of the free market and are designed to improve the quality of life.

Ingrīda Blūma graduated from the University of Latvia as a specialist in finance and lending and obtained a master’s degree from Stockholm University in the Social Sciences program. She has worked as Head of the Gulbene Branch of the Agro-Industry Bank of Latvia, the Vice-President  and Lending Department Head of the German-Latvian Bank. In 1996, she was appointed Board Chairperson of Hansabanka; in 1998, she became a Board Member of Hansabanka Group; in 2005, she was appointed Chairperson of the Association of Latvian Commercial Banks and a Board Member of the Swedbank Group of Sweden.

The Spīdola Prize Awarding Ceremony will take place on November 18, the 88th Anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Latvia. This year, the Lecture of the Year ‘ Economy of Latvia 2001-2005 and Possible Future Economic Trends’ will be read at the prize awarding ceremony. Uldis Osis, the famous economy specialist, has given his consent to hold the speech. 

At the press conference, O. Kehris, President of the Association of Economists 2010, informed the attendants that in 2007 everyone will have the possibility to nominate candidates for the Spīdola Prize. Up to now, the nominations were made by members of the Association of Economists and the winner was determined by voting.

Already at this conference, U.Osis, on behalf of the Association of Economists 2010, expressed proposals to the new Parliament and the new Government as to the national economy. After an assessment of the current trends in the national economy and the possible solutions to problems, the main tasks that should be of prime concern to the new Parliament and the new Government were defined. U. Osis pointed out a current and long-lasting problem – inflation, which influences a great number of processes of the national economy. Furthermore, a significant challenge for the new Government will be the solution to the labour situation; this will be commented on further by U. Osis at the Lecture of the Year on Economics at the Spīdola prize awarding ceremony on November 18.

One of the main tasks pointed out by U. Osis was the necessity to bring to an end the territorial reform and to eliminate the problems of education: ‘The territorial-administrative reform, in my opinion, is an issue that has become a serious problem for the further development of Latvia’s national economy ; or, to be more specific, the lack of the reform, or the slow implementation of it, is one of the main indirect factors why people are leaving the country and why society is so layered and diversified as to the welfare level. If we compare Rīga, Rīga region and other regions of Latvia, the radical differences have not diminished in recent years, and it is one of the most serious problems that could slow down the further development of the Latvian economy.’

As to education problems, U. Osis said: ‘Education is an individual sphere that is closely connected with the development of the economy. It would be over the top to say that a revolution in the education sector is required; nevertheless, although many things have changed for the better, very significant reforms are still to be implemented  since a number of problems are still current.' 

Rolands Paņko, Deputy Board Chairperson of Hipotēku Banka, the main supporter of the Spīdola Prize, stressing the significance of it, said: With the annual awarding of the Spīdola Prize, the Association of Economists 2010 have created a supporting point for the professional economic idea, for a place for conversations, where professionals of economic theory can meet with real practicians in order to assess the achievement of the year in the national economy. Since the prize to a large extent conforms to the objectives of Hipotēku banka, i.e. the facilitation of the national economy and welfare, we are glad and delighted to be able to support the Spīdola Prize.

The Association of Economists 2010 has been awarding the prize since 1997. Initially, it was awarded to Latvian economists for studies in economics.  In 2004, the concept and form of the prize was changed. The Association of Economists 2010 approved a new Regulation that stipulates that the prize may be awarded for the expansion  of free initiatives and free market relationships in the national economy of Latvia by creating new business institutions and improving the work of existing institutions, for the provision and expansion of competition in the market and the national economy by introducing new products and services to the market and increasing the freedom of an individual in the economy by raising the level of education, knowledge and skills.  In 2004, the prize was awarded to E.Repše, former President of the Bank of Latvia, for the re-implementation of the lat in 1993 and keeping its value thereafter, and Andris Šķēle, three-time Prime Minister, for the implementation of the reform programme, inter alia the implementation of the balanced budget philosophy; a year later, the prize was awarded to Bertolt Martin Flick, President and CEO of the national airline Air Baltic for the doubling of direct flights and the number of passengers at the International Airport of Riga by applying a flexible and affordable pricing policy.

The symbol of the Spīdola Prize is a statuette of an apple tree, which symbolises creative power, wealth, productivity and welfare. The designer of the statuette is the artist Ligita Ulmane-Franckeviča. The Association of Economists 2010, which awards the prestigious prize, was founded in 1994 with the purpose of facilitating economic ideas and the long-term development of the Latvian national economy. It is one of the oldest non-governmental organisation in the renewed Republic of Latvia, and its members are famous Latvian economists, inter alia  Mārtiņš Bondars, Dairis Cālītis, Juris Cebulis, Eižens Cepurnieks, Kārlis Cerbulis, Ingūna Dobrāja, Kaspars Gerhards, Pauls Dzintars Kalniņš, Ojārs Kehris,  Edmunds Krastiņš, Andris Liepiņš, Uldis Osis, Ilmārs Rimšēvičs, Arvils Sautiņš, Inna Šteinbuka, Juris Vīksniņš, Uldis Vītoliņš and Roberts Zīle.