RIGA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Latvian Health Minister Ilze Vinkele's party -- For Development/For! -- drew criticism on Friday after it proposed widening the Baltic country's 2020 budget deficit in order to provide money for raising medics' salaries.

The For Development/For! party came up with the proposal at a time when Latvia's healthcare workers have been staging major protests over the government's failure to keep the promise to raise their salaries by 20 percent in 2020.

Instead, the medics' salaries will increase by only 10 percent in 2020.

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said at a news conference that he was against adding the 60 million euros (66 million U.S. dollars) necessary for the medics' pay rise to next year's budget expenditure, which would result in a wider budget deficit.

Karins also voiced dissatisfaction with the health minister's performance and called on her to get to work on improving the health system.

Karins argued that a wider budget deficit would mean the necessity to raise some taxes, for instance, value added tax.

For Development/For! leader Daniels Pavluts dismissed Karins' criticism, saying that Health Minister Vinkele did not deserve being reproached. "The minister is active, but is taken to task by the prime minister," said Pavluts.

Pavluts also said that Latvia could afford to increase its budget deficit by 60 million euros. (one euro currently equals to 1.10 U.S. dollars). Enditem

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