PRIME Recruitment Blog
What could put Latvia in higher ranking for direct investments?! Internal view becomes EXTERNAL
Latvia needs start shaking up to meet the future. We don't attract enough investment and to do so we need improve a number of issues, whether we like it or not. Latvians are good at getting degrees - but not very good at implementing these around the larger populace, we need stay and build the country and reinvest income into business locally.
My first are the lack of language skills - life is constant learning and incentives supported by the state for companies to invest in staff (not EU money for worthless courses) but such that give fair competition for those private companies / initiatives that are.
The language qualifications on grauduates in general and the general population as a whole. None meet international standards and still in recruitment companies ask for a 'fluency'not prevalent. The Languages these could be are:
ENGLISH which need be markedly lifted and at least 2 more languages apart from one's own two domestic - the Latvian and the non-officially recognized - Russian.
A Scandinavian language opens doors for work overseas - as that is were the future lies. Norway is a wealthy country with huge natural resources and plenty of space and lack of people, Sweden also a great jobs'provider Learning also the more unusual and going against trends - is Finnish if you wish for opportunity here and elsewhere. The Danish provide good education on high international level
Important to learn a Chinese dialect as this is the language of the future and why not Arabic? There are too few of each. Considering the deal with Iran - Farsi? Spanish/French/Italian maybe German. Again, very few speak German - well!
Russian as it is an important neighboor, although the language of the previous p0litical system, it is the only all ex-USSR countries are able to communciate well in. Regardless of what has happened Eastward we need realize that Russia is important to our well-being. THEY do not actually need us or anybody for that matter. Bielorus is our last 'undiscovered'opportunity in Europe...
2/ The investment climate - what is there to attract families wanting to return? It is starting to happen, but surely more can be done? How about creating investment funds that lend out in local market loans for returners, or binding one's money over longer periods of time for a good ROI? We have finally incentive programs for students - but Returners????
2B/ The Black economy and the very hard attitude to companies. Companies that can pay tax don't because the moral standpoint is 'one does not pay taxes', because politicians cheat us. Frankly with such an attitude no improvement will ever come. The same attitude applies when bribing Police a fiver when you know are guilty. We make mistakes let's accept that!
3/ Bureaucracy as in paper work, getting stamped, counter-signed, queueing to register for setting up a company from 6 am to get access at 8 am works well if you are the first in line, but the hassle is Medieval! The staff do not operate in English - and don't want to! Recruit people with a better attitude, pay better, TRAIN people and encourage staff! Any documentation coming from the Latvian state (except voting information) comes out ONLY in Latvian although one could think English was an accepted language. Time consuming and idiotic, out of time with the world! HELP people forward instead. SMILE and encourage!
4/ Allow people from other countries to work who do not communicate in perfect language and create an incentives program to learn paralel to work. Latvia is losing people and they are not coming back - this problem need be solved. Invite people who have education that we are lacking! HELP them to HELP us but demand performance and probably pay-back over time, let them take the oath after 10 years in the country if able to show a clean bill of health! Latvians, stay your ground against EU by showing you have a reasonable plan!
5/ The Latvian state must stop treating people here as its slaves. And the tone of officials need change too. Respect goes both ways! A language in written form that frightens, discourages, instills fear is not necessary. The whole way how information is sent out and received need be looked into. The result is you feel criminalized and not welcome. That is not smart! Law enforcement is one of the worst - but that is not new, nor how people are treated when stopped by the Police force in the streets - for petty issues. Instead of catching e.g., rogue drivers! If you drive at 4-5 in the morning you are always stopped! Once may wonder the purpose. Also, you cannot call the Latvian Police in emergency and tip them off they don't have anyone on a good level able to take the call... Pay better for competence, train and demand upon recruiting! The Latvian Police should be Latvia's BEST people.
6/ The regime of how people are voted into public office i.e. the Saiema and from there into higher office, I hear is what makes many Latvians dispair. This is one of the major reasons Latvian leave and don't come back. They feel locked in, into a live prison where nothing changes ever and they are not listened too. It is today questionable why a president of the country is voted in because he or she lacks backbone. We can well imagine what that does for our country's international standing. We need more lady presidents who show backbone, speak languages and are good ambassadors for the country in that they understand the international community as well as thier own people's needs and strong points!
7/ Respect other people's work, property, pay what it costs, don't copy e.g., language books when giving courses commercially but pay for them! - All this just shows there is no respect for anyone else's hard efforts - and still we all wish be treaqted respectfully. Why does it apply to some and not to others and why do some get away with murder all the time. Pay on time when you should don't play with nother people's money respect - this selfish, short-sighted behaviour stops a normal situation and kills enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit. Large companies need change their attitudes on payment time so smaller can live and new ideas thrive. This is detrimental to Latvia's short term and long term interests - why to do we have to behave like the lowest?
These taken together are part of the local iceberg that stops this country's positive development. Latvia has been free now since 1991, some things have improved, others have not even started to defrost from the perma frost it is in. The exodus continues despite that we scream for qualified labour and it is not only the young who leave, we lose also those who are our most productive. Virtually nothing is being done and the court system is also part of this mess. Latvia has so much she can be proud of, there are good, hard-working people, it has a great potential in Tourism if more emphasis would be put on that and an Energy sector that if allowed to compete on fair terms could see Latvia flourish and the population as a whole see lower energy bills - now held up by the interests of a few not working in Latvia's best interests. And not letting the local Latvian via the energy bill gain from this wealth - any Reader may understand this undermines the country's long term chances when investments go to our nieghboors. Can we really afford this?
Henrik Mjoman has since 1994 remained in Latvia to be part of building the new country from the first early years of freedom in the hope of seeing a strong Latvia come out that stands for new ideas, positive development for all of its citizens and a future for coming generations. This can still be done, but the clock is ticking and we need ascertain fair investment from every quarter with few or no vested interest on part of the receiving facilitator. It grieves me to see the hard work of many coming to so little simply because there seems to be no plan... and a lot of selfishness and own pocket - when it's the country that needs our best efforts.
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