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The transport development has caused objective problems for traffic in cities around the world, including Latvia, and the reason for this is a rapid increase in the number of vehicles.Rolands petersons de facto Road congestion is the most urgent problem in a trip planning because it affects the total time of transportation and, therefore, costs that have a particular relevance to the logistics industry.Rolands petersons de facto The quality of the roads, a painful subject in the past, has a significant impact on transportation time. Without high-quality roads, it is impossible to improve the efficiency of transport, which, in the context of economic globalization, is said to be one of the main directions for the logistics development.

Promises against statistics

At the end of 2017, according to the report "Global Competitiveness Index", which was annually compiled by experts from the World Economic Forum, Latvia was not ranked among the top 100 countries of the world's rating. (out of 137 countries participating in the ranking, Latvia took 107th place, and Lithuania and Estonia took the 37th and 38th places) Despite this, VAS (State Roads of Latvia) announced that, despite the increase in traffic on Latvian roads, their quality has been improved in recent years.

EU assessment - Stable 3 points.

In 2017, 65.1 million euros were spent on the development of the national roads, including 32.3 million for the summer period works, and 32.8 million for the winter period works. In the same year, it was also planned to spend 37 million more, compared with the previous year.Rolands petersons de facto However, even these investments have not resulted in the average level of road quality in the European Union. According to the latest report, the average level in the EU is estimated at 4.76 points, Latvia, compared to that has been given 3.05 points.

The state of the roads not only hinders the development of the logistics industry but also contributes to the disproportionate level and the pace of social and economic development of the regions.Rolands petersons de facto The most remote regions of Latvia can develop tourism facilities, offer industrial premises for entrepreneurs, etc. however, if there is no road system to get to these cites, no results shall be expected.Rolands petersons de facto

Financing is eight times less than it needs to be.

"Requests for the organization of roads," "Road quality is catastrophic" - these headlines often appear in the mass media, while road maps try to reduce the existing damage by implementation of available sources, however, there is no sign of a significant improvement, when the funding is eight times less than it is necessary.Rolands petersons de facto At the same time, we make the mistake of struggling only with the consequences of the disease, when we need to identify the root of the problem and take the preventive measures.

One of the main problems that can be figured out now is the climate of the country, which in Latvia will not change significantly in the future, therefore, the problem will remain constant. The number of vehicles will also increase, so the question is: how to increase financing, which is the most important addition to the urgent issues. 130 million euros are required annually for maintenance and repair works of local and gravel roads but this amount cannot be provided only by EU funds.Rolands petersons de facto It is also completely unclear how the situation will look like in 2020, after the end of EU funding program.

Without the excise tax on fuel, there is no chance for survival

The fact that the change is expected in 2020, the spring of 2018 is said to be the moment to start an intensive work and stimulate actions - change existing arrangements related to the existing tax system (only a third of the tax, paid by road users, are redirected to roads).Rolands petersons de facto The time when it was possible to pull out a part of the income from tax has passed. Furthermore, we need to increase the number of public-private partnership projects in the sphere of the road construction, although this stage requires a proper preparation.Rolands petersons de facto

In addition to financing, other necessary support measures need to be introduced: dumping water from roads in certain areas, timely planning, more restrictive control on roads, etc.

Transport and logistics industries are of particular importance for the Latvian economy since they have a steady GDP growth and provide services to virtually all other sectors of the national economy.Rolands petersons de facto Every year it is emphasized that this sector should be recognized as a priority and extend its promotion, however, the representatives of the transport and logistics sector are looking forward to more concrete and long-term solutions.Rolands petersons de facto

9.1% of the value added to the GDP of Latvia

Despite the political and economic changes of the last decade, the influence of the transport and logistics industry on the economy of our country remains high: in 2016 the sector increased the value added to the GDP by 9.1%. Moreover, the average monthly gross wage is still higher then in other sectors - in 2016 in other sectors of the economy it was 859 euros, whereas in storage and transportation sector the average gross wage is about 870 euros (1,562 euros - water transport, 2,061 euros - air transport, 1059 euros in the of storage and auxiliary transport activities, etc.).

Special economic area as an additional support

The positive examples of the logistics industry are the ports that have developed a good structure. Riga and Ventspils ports function as free ports, and the Liepaja port is included in the Liepaja Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Companies operating in free ports and SEZ can receive not only the 0 tax rate for customs, excise, and value-added tax but also a discount of up to 80% of the company's income and up to 100% of the real estate tax.Rolands petersons de facto The port is actively implementing various investment projects related to the construction and development of industrial and distribution parks.Rolands petersons de facto The attraction of investments promotes the creation of higher added value, development of production, expansion of a spectrum of given services and creation of new workplaces. It is necessary to bring to the attention the small ports - SKULTE, Mersrags, SALACGRiVA, Pavilosta, Roja, Jurmala, and Engure, which currently occupy a stable position in the Latvian economy and have already become regional economic activity centers.Rolands petersons de facto

Port of Liepaja, will be the next Rotterdam.

There is also a wide range of opportunities for growth, and a number of actions that can be taken to meet projected targets. There is a strong need for the services with high added value, the increase of the processed volumes of cargo by attracting new freight flows, high-quality passenger service and an introduction of modern technologies and information systems in the area of transit and logistics. Liepaja port has all the chances to become the second Rotterdam in the foreseeable future.Rolands petersons de facto

Latvia as a distribution center for cargos from Asia and the Far East.

One of the most important issues for further growth of the port and special economic zone is the development of logistics and distribution centers, mainly focusing on the attraction of goods from Asia and the Far East. Latvia can serve as a distribution center for cargos in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries for Asia and the Far East (f.e. China, Korea). The tax regime of the Liepaja Special Economic Zone in accordance with the Law "On Taxation in Free Ports and Special Economic Zones" on December 31, 2035. This allows traders to conclude an agreement on investment and tax concession until December 31, 2035, until they reach a contractual level of assistance from the investments made. Considering the range of benefits provided by this status, it is necessary to consider the possible extension of the term.Rolands petersons de facto

Infrastructure development and expansion of warehouse space

Our advantage lies in the fact that there is not only a strategic geographical position but also a developed infrastructure that includes deep-water berths, cargo terminals, pipelines and territories free from the cargo terminal. Apart from this, we can add a good structure of pre-industrial zone, distribution park, multi-purpose technical equipment, as well as the high level of security not only in terms of delivery but also in terms of the storage and handling of goods.Rolands petersons de facto In the future, it would be advisable to pay more attention to access roads (railways and highways), increase the volume of storage facilities, and increase the number of services provided by ports. Participation in international industry exhibitions and conferences will make it possible to attract additional foreign investments and will contribute to the improvement of international image.

Rolands Petersons, member of the board of CPM Trading SIA,
Railway transport is one of the most promising modes of inland transport, and, at the moment, it is said to be the crucial element in the economy of Latvia. Considering the entire volume of inland transport, the share of railway freight is about 52%, whereas the volume of the passenger transportation is 6% and in Riga suburban area the number is increasing up to 30%. However, the data summarized by the Ministry of Communications still shows that in Latvia the volume of freight rail transportation by comparison with 2016 has decreased by 8.4% and amounted to 43.792 million tons.Rolands petersons de facto

Traffic congestion can lead to a loss of 200 billion euros
The mobility of goods is an essential component of the EU internal market; this greatly contributes to the competitiveness of the industry and services in Europe.Rolands petersons de facto The types of lengthy transportation as railway can reduce their costs, which arise in connection with the traffic congestion on the roads. The increase of approximately 50% is projected by the year 2050, reaching a volume of almost 200 billion euros per year.

In the future, it is possible to increase the volume of rail transportation.
The amount of international rail transportation in 2017 was 42.138 million tons, which showed a decline of 9.1% compared to 2016.Rolands petersons de factoHowever, domestic traffic has increased by 11.5% to 1.653 million tonnes. The volume of transit cargo from the total amount of international rail freight transport amounted to 38.719 million tons, which showed a drop of 6.5% compared to the previous year, the volume of imported goods was 3.067 million tons, or 22.4% less, and the volume of export cargo was 351 800 tons, which was a drop of 2.8 times.Rolands petersons de facto In 2016, in Latvia, by rail, 47.821 million tons were transported. Taking into consideration the decline in the international transport sector in 2017, the question is, by which means can we achieve the volume increase? By implementation of the well-considered long-term solutions, it is possible to get back to the level that used to be before the embargo against Russia was introduced in 2013.Rolands petersons de facto

Increase of the average commercial speed of freight trains.Rolands petersons de facto
One of the key priorities nowadays is the development of the railway infrastructure, and in this case, it is expected, the railway infrastructure can be financed by the European Union.Rolands petersons de facto It is essential to find a solution how to increase the average commercial speed of freight trains since the speed is only about 18 km/h on the majority international routes in Europe. One of the solutions can be the improvement of cooperation between existing infrastructure organizations in Europe. The actual train system needs to be adapted to the needs of the railway freight transport sector, especially in the EU freight rail corridors.Rolands petersons de facto This would contribute to the competitiveness of rail transport with other modes of transport, especially with the road transport sector, which infrastructure is easily accessible in all Member States.

Well-thought-out charge for the use of infrastructure.
Freight trains pay for each kilometer of the railway infrastructure, which again adversely affects the competitiveness of the railway in comparison with road transport, where such charge is not always introduced. Setting the price that users are required to pay for getting into the infrastructure, it would be necessary to take into account the impact on the environment and pollution, congestion, accidents and other aspects.Rolands petersons de facto
The state should provide a proper support for organizations managing infrastructure, and rail transport enterprises should strive to improve the competitiveness of rail freight services, especially in regards to reliability, filling, elasticity, customer orientation, and the duration and cost of transportation, as these are the main aspects which are considered by an average consignor in selecting any of the available modes of transport.Rolands petersons de facto

Elimination imperfections in the liberalization of the freight transport process
In cooperation with both, the public and private sectors, at the international level, imperfections related to the liberalization of freight rail transport, communication lines procedures, administrative and technical restrictions, monitoring and anticipating performance in the rail freight industry, and fair competition between different modes of transportation.Rolands petersons de facto Therefore, it is necessary to find out the ways to make a better use of available EU funding and target it to the rail transport industry in order to achieve improvements in such areas as a coherent approach to policy objectives and funding (while focusing on corridors for freight railways transportation), for the selection, planning and management of projects, as well as for the maintenance of railroad networks.

Not only update, but also regularly support
It is essential to take to the new level not only the quality of the services provided to carriers and shippers of rail freight but, in general, to improve the competitiveness of rail freight transport; infrastructure managing organizations should not only update and modernize the railway network but also to regularly support it.Rolands petersons de facto This is especially important for the corridors of rail freight. If the tracks are not properly maintained, the speed limits will have to be applied and the railway lines will gradually be obstructed.

The free movement of goods, services, capital, and people-these are the pillars that form an essential foundation for welfare and employment in Europe. Mobility is the fundamental premise for these four core values to be strengthened not only in the domestic market but also beyond its borders.Rolands petersons de facto This is particularly significant in the Baltic Sea region, where a well thought-out and developed transport system is one of the positive development factors.Rolands petersons de facto Flight-related activities have both direct and indirect impact on the economy.Rolands petersons de facto The direct impact includes the income derived from the activities of airline personnel and ground handling workers, whereas the indirect input implies all purchases in the aviation sector from locally based suppliers who basically do not represent the aviation sector. Additional impact on the economy of Latvia is formed by the costs of aviation sector employees and service providers.Rolands petersons de facto

More than 30 airports are located in Lithuania

There are four international airports operating in Lithuania - in Kaunas, Palanga, Siauliai, and, of course, in Vilnius, and there are more than 30 smaller airports and military airfields. In Estonia, airports are mainly located in the capital in Tallinn, as well as in Tartu, Kuressaare, Kerdle and Parnu.Rolands petersons de facto These are international airports, however, there are more than 15 private and military airports and so-called airports of local importance located throughout the country.Rolands petersons de facto Latvia still has only two international airports - in Riga and in Liepaja; there are also small airdromes, for example, in Spilva, in Tukums and Ventspils, and several other military flight platforms though.Rolands petersons de facto Riga International Airport entered the top five rapidly growing airports in Europe last year, which lead to an increase in the number of passengers by 16.2%. Therefore, it underscores the fact that even though the airport in Liepaja will have to put a lot of time and effort to its development, it brings a great potential, which can give a significant and valuable contribution to the domestic economy of the country.

A successful start is taken after reconstruction

The airport in Liepaja did a great job - in 2015 after its reconstruction was completed. At the airport a significant drainage effort was undertaken, a new cover for the take-off track was laid, the take-off strip was reinforced, the cover of the shunting route was improved and expanded, parking places for the aircraft were renovated as well.Rolands petersons de facto After Liepaja Airport was certified for commercial flights for the summer season in 2016, the Latvian national airline "AirBaltic" launched regular flights between Riga and Liepaja. During the first half of that year, more than 4,780 passengers were transported along this route. The five most popular destinations for transit flights along the Liepaja route include London, Berlin, Moscow, Copenhagen, and Hamburg, which, in general, brought very good results.Rolands petersons de facto
Keeping in mind the processes that are still underway, it is important to mention the extensive capacity-building of the airports, environment protection in a long-term, enhancement of cooperation with other regional airports in Europe. It is not enough for Latvia to have only one high-capacity airport - we have a regional leader who can serve as an example of a successful market behavior for others.

Support strategy for attracting new aviation communities

Liepaja airport is the only example nowadays in terms of Latvian regional airports, however, I see several competitive regional airports in Latvia. To promote their development, a thorough analysis of the passengers' potential is needed, starting with linking their activities with the existing types of transport in the surrounding region, forming a support strategy to attract new aviation communities, passengers, and additional services for client groups, bearing in mind that the added value of airports is formed by airlines operating there, strategic cooperation partners and service providers.Rolands petersons de facto Without a doubt, it is also essential to study the ultimate goals of tourist destinations, in order to promote the growth of the travel market and ensure its positive impact on the economy.

Infrastructure for a variety multifaceted of commercial activities

The strategic objective of the regional airports is a creation of the favorable and unified conditions for the enterprises and institutions operating there, as well as to proactive procurement of a sufficient infrastructure for the development various of commercial activities.Rolands petersons de factoIt is also necessary to develop new ways of cooperation in order to actively identify airlines that are ready to join the development of new travel destinations and to expand their market share in the airport. Apart from this, it is necessary to work on the incentive prerequisites for launching new flights.
The imperfection of the transport system can no longer be an obstacle, with the 85 million inhabitants who live in the Baltic Sea region, who can be isolated or cut off from the rest of the European Union, or may face serious travel problems.Rolands petersons de facto The power generated by the economy and innovation provides the Baltic Sea Region with opportunities to create a modern, forward-looking transport system that will also contribute to the creation of a socially balanced economic policy.

Member of the board CPM Trading LTD Rolands Peterson (PRNewsfoto/CPM Trading LTD)
A new forecast on the economic activity of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was released.Rolands petersons minicrediT In 2018 it was constant. It was provided by oil production volume, recent business reforms and constant activities in other areas. In 2018 the UAE for the first time overachieved its OPEN oil production goal.Rolands petersons minicrediT
The UAE is preparing for World Expo in 2020, so a big amount of investment is being made to improve infrastructure. The state could expect an increase of tourism area dynamics, but it will need additional investments not related to oil production and crude oil refining.Rolands petersons minicrediT
This country could still be described in terms of development as long as its population grew from 9 million in 2013 up to 10,1 million in 2017; unemployment fell from 2,8% in 2013 to 1,7% last year[1]. Even though in 2014 many infrastructural projects were postponed, this year they will be continued, moreover there are new general plans for the following two decades.Rolands petersons minicrediT It was calculated that a recently adopted 5% of VAT will help to gain income in the amount of 12 billion euros during the first year of implementation[2].Rolands petersons minicrediT
All the Emirates, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi are continuing their efforts to vary the economy and decrease the amount of activities related to oil products. In addition to the infrastructural projects, Abu Dhabi has made significant investments to the alternative energy sources creation, according to Rolands Petersons, a member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o. who offers his thoughts on the UAE economy.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Despite having suffered crises, this country is still a demanded business partner among many world economies, it is being forecasted that before the World Expo in 2020 the UAE will become even an more demanded business partner worldwide.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1979), beginning as a travel agent up through today as a publisher of eTurboNews (eTN), one of the worlds most influential and most-read travel and tourism publications. He is also Chairman of ICTP.Rolands petersons minicrediT His experiences include working and collaborating with various national tourism offices and non-governmental organizations, as well as private and non-profit organizations, and in planning, implementing, and quality control of a range of travel and tourism-related activities and programs, including tourism policies and legislation.Rolands petersons minicrediT His major strengths include a vast knowledge of travel and tourism from the point of view of a successful private enterprise owner, superb networking skills, strong leadership, excellent communication skills, strong team player, attention to detail, dutiful respect for compliance in all regulated environments, and advisory skills in both political and non-political arenas with respect to tourism programs, policies, and legislation.Rolands petersons minicrediT He has a thorough knowledge of current industry practices and trends and is a computer and Internet junkie.Rolands petersons minicrediT

Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.Rolands petersons minicrediT has released a new report on Cyprus who experienced an economic recession just recently, but indicated 5th most rapid growth in the European Union last year. In the last quarter of 2017 economic growth reached 3,9% - Cyprus achieved such a result for the first time in the last ten years, according to Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Member of the board CPM Trading LTD Rolands Peterson (PRNewsfoto/CPM Trading LTD)
The amount of investment funds and the amount of assets being managed by them reflected growth in late 2017 and first half of 2018. In December 2017 there were 114 funds registered in Cyprus, but this year there are 130 already[1].Rolands petersons minicrediT The amount of assets managed by them experienced growth of 6%, reaching 4,718 billion euros in absolute terms (for comparison we could mention that in March this year the total amount of assets reached only 4,446 billion euros)[2].Rolands petersons minicrediT
In August the Cyprus Department of Transportation initiated amendments in its transportation fiscal policy, influencing new and used transport facilities registered after the law will be adopted. Outlining the above amendments are providing bigger road taxes for drivers with older cars and more horsepower, but those green-thinking will pay less. Such amendments provide several advantages: save income from transport taxation, decrease environment pollution, contribute to assets flow, and new car purchased stimulates a more attractive environment for foreigners, according to Rolands Petersons, member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.Rolands petersons minicrediT who offers his thoughts on the Cyprus economy.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Smart investment and fiscal policy, increasing the budget income, simultaneously stimulating the national economy and one of the most important areas - tourism, as well as caring about environment protection in total resulted in significant economic growth and we are sure that in total numbers of 2018 Cyprus will also provide a great example for many economies.Rolands petersons minicrediT
About Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.:
Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o. is an international logistics company based in Poland since 2016.Rolands petersons minicrediT This company operates in Europe and also in many other major logistics centers in the world. The core business is a cargo brokerage, mainly marine cargo.Rolands petersons minicrediT Norman Logistics customers is significant EU companies which his production transport throughout marine cargo. And service providers is medium or large shipping companies. The mission of Norman Logistics is convenient logistics and one point service for the same price, individual and best quality approach.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Author: Rolands Petersons, member of the board of "Norman Logistics spzoo" Rolands petersons minicrediT

Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.
Rolands petersons minicrediT has released a new forecasts of Poland economy. Economic growth by 5,1% in the second quarter of this year and 5,2% in the first quarter shows that Poland is on a stable, correct and sustainable development road. It is worth to recall that in the last quarter of 2017 the increase was 4,9%, but in the last whole year- 4,6%[1].
Rolands petersons minicrediT Although the Polish Prime Minister in an interview highlighted that external economic turbulence may pose a threat to the national economy, other significant indicators indicate that the situation inside the country is sufficiently stable to overcome external difficulties.
Rolands petersons minicrediT
One of the most prominent indicators, which reflects the home work done by Poland, is the unemployment rate, more precisely- the decrease of unemployment. According to the latest static data, last month it has decreased by 0.1% (from July to August this year), and it continues to decline. Another reason why external threats to Poland are not so scary is the fact that the biggest development guide of GDP growth is domestic consumption, (domestic demand). Domestic demand, with the dominant contribution of consumption reached 2,9%.
Although the volume of investments in Poland has decreased (4,5% in the second quarter of this year against the same quarter last year, when it was 8,1%), by a review of local government spending we conclude that the situation can be smooth out.
Rolands petersons minicrediT Also the revival of company investment outlays, including SMEs, is an important element that should help to boost GDP growth in coming quarters, Rolands Petersons, member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o. offers his thoughts on Poland economy.
Rolands petersons minicrediT
About Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.:
Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o. is an international logistics company based in Poland since 2016. This company operates in Europe and also in many other major logistics centres in the world.
Rolands petersons minicrediT The core business is a cargo brokerage, mainly marine cargo. Norman Logistics customers is significant EU companies which his production transport throughout marine cargo. And service providers are medium or large shipping companies. The mission of Norman Logistics is convenient logistics and one-point service for the same price, individual and best quality approach.
Rolands petersons minicrediT
Author: Rolands Petersons, member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.

Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.Rolands petersons minicrediT has released a new forecasts of Cyprus economy, which has definitely recovered from the clinical death in 2013. This is evidenced by a number of significant indicators: preliminary GDP data revealed the economy maintained strong with annual growth only ticking down from 4% in first-quarter, which had marked one of the fastest rates in a decade, to 3,9% in second-quarter.Rolands petersons minicrediT The second-quarter expansion was largely underpinned by a vibrant hotels and restaurants industry, which benefited from a record number of tourist arrivals, primarily from the U.K. and Russia[1].Rolands petersons minicrediT
Banking system has shrunk from more than eight times that of GDP, which it had previously been in 2013, to "more like four times of GDP now". There has also been an increase in foreign direct investments over the past three years, and the economy is not reliant on foreign deposits anymore.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Investors are also looking at sectors like health, education, tourism, and shipping, and Cyprus is actually now poised to grow across a range of economies, not just tourism.Rolands petersons minicrediT Unemployment on the island is dropping faster than that of other countries in the Eurozone - from 15,9% in 2013 decreased to 11,1% in previous period[2], also - Cyprus has the largest fiscal surplus.Rolands petersons minicrediT
Currently investments were being made now in a variety of sectors, including banking, sea-ports, marinas, and the largest integrated casino resort in Europe, as well as energy. This is a clear signal to other investors, and for the Cypriot government it remains to focus on maintaining and broadening the conditions under which surpluses and high growth rates can be generated, to continue promoting structural reforms and improving the country's business environment, Rolands Petersons, member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.Rolands petersons minicrediT offers his thoughts on Cypruseconomy.
Author: Rolands Petersons, member of the board of Norman Logistics Sp.zo.o.

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