AmCham HCWG

In 2019, the AmCham Healthcare Working Group (HCWG) launched a vision statement on Latvian healthcare along with the pilot project on Oncology Data Registry. Recently the pilot project was completed with a design thinking workshop and study, conducted in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health, National Health Service and Disease Control and Prevention Center. In addition, HCWG is currently focused on supporting an international summit Toward Data-Driven health: Sharing is Caring scheduled for November 26, 2020. It is also considering supporting drafting legislation on secondary use of health data. The Chair of HCWG is Zinta Jansons, AmCham President and Foreign Counsel at Ellex Klavins. The next HCWG meeting is scheduled for November 5 at 16:00 via MS Teams. If you are interested in joining this group, please sign up here or contact Ieva Melngaile.

AmCham LFWG

The AmCham Labor Force Working Group (LFWG) has had a very active year – it has initiated 7 webinars on remote work and HR related issues in 2020, created recommendations to revise state programs for upskilling and reskilling, conducted a survey on legal aspects of remote work and is represented at the Human Capital development working group at the Ministry of Economy. Right now LFWG focuses on amendments of the Immigration Law and expanding on benefits related to remote work. As work from home becomes more popular, the group would like to ask for members’ feedback on benefits companies are using or would like to use to incentivize their employees. Your comments will be much appreciated with regard to cost covering, subsidized meals, educational opportunities or other benefits the companies are providing in Latvia and globally so that we can put together proposals to improve the existing legislation and make it more flexible. The Chair of LFWG is Renate Strazdina, AmCham Board member and Country Manager of Microsoft in Baltics. The next meeting is scheduled for November 17 at 9:00 via MS Teams. If you are interested in joining this group, please sign up here or contact Ieva Melngaile.

Joint Chamber Tourism Working Group

Based on interest of our members in the hospitality and tourism industry, AmCham together with the Norwegian and Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Latvia have re-established the Joint Chamber Tourism working group to discuss the available support mechanisms, adjustments in tourism development planning as well as other topicalities in the current crisis-related circumstances. Please contact Ieva Melngaile should you be interested in joining this group.

The Internal market commission

AmCham President Zinta Jansons and Executive Director Liga Smildzina-Bertulsone represent AmCham on the Internal market committee at the Ministry of Economy on a bi-monthly basis. Members are invited to bring up issues concerning the EU internal market. Recent issues: the recovery plan for economy post-COVID-19, tourism sector challenges, tax reform and its impact on the business environment, the conformity of electrical equipment and others. Feel free to contact Liga Smildzina-Bertulsone should you have questions or suggestions.