Riga, Nov 4 (LETA) - The number of local governments highly rated in the Transparency Index of Local Authorities, which assesses the transparency of Latvian local government websites, has increased to 12 this year, transparency organization Delna informed LETA.

Since 2021, Delna has annually assessed the transparency of Latvian municipalities' websites. The assessments conclude that the amount of information published on the websites on decision-making, the structure of the local council, the local government budget and the use of finances, public procurement, local government companies, public participation, the fight against corruption and ethics is increasing every year.

While last year only Riga municipality scored highly - at least 29.5 points out of 40 - this year the number of highly rated municipalities has increased to 12.

The size of the municipality is not always the determining factor for the transparency of the information published on the website - the understanding of the people responsible for publishing information in a user-friendly format on the web is also important, Delna concluded.

Many of the indicators can be easily improved, such as archives of deputies and commission members, visualizations of budgets. This information does not change every week, but citizens can access relevant information about the municipality in a user-friendly way, Delna stressed.

Delna also points out that the amount of information published in a number of areas is still insufficient, especially in the areas of anti-corruption and ethics, as well as public participation mechanisms.

Delna will present the latest Transparency Index on Friday, November 8. Experts will present their conclusions, a comparative analysis of Norwegian and Latvian municipalities and progress since 2021.