and beginning of July of this year due to termination of employment contracts by employed pensioners. At the same time it was maintained that the number of vacant job positions is currently also affected by general economic factors, due to which the companies need to reduce the number of their employees. Thus, resignation of pensioners can be one of the possible ways for companies to reduce their number of employees and to close job positions. 9. The Summoned party – The Bank of Latvia – maintained that, in June 2009, the state consolidated budget deficit accrued since the beginning of the year reached LVL 458 million or 3.5 percent from the forecasted Gross Domestic Product. The forecast for the above mentioned deficit was LVL 1.3 billion by the end of the year. If the budget deficit were not reduced by LVL 500 million, this situation would endanger both the receipt of international loan as well as performance of state functions, and revival of economic activities in the country as soon as possible. Adoption of the impugned provisions was a part of fiscal consolidation, and the planned impact of the impugned provisions on reduction of costs in 2009 was LVL 88 million. The Bank of Latvia held a view that the legislator, in this way, has managed to reach the set main goal. There were several alternatives as to how to reduce the budget deficit. The possibility of economically more feasible or otherwise more suitable alternatives for reaching the set goal has to be determined within the framework of budget preparation. The competence of the Bank of Latvia is to consult the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers, whereas drafting and approving the budget is within the competence of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Saeima. The Bank of Latvia possesses no information as to whether the international creditors have required the reduction of pension disbursements prescribed by the impugned provisions. 10. The Summoned party – the State Audit Service – maintained that it has not made any audits to assess the activities of the government in order to prevent the economic crisis. At the same time the State Audit Service informed the Constitutional Court that the total 32 regulatory audits had been carried out during 2008, and that the Office of 16