Estonia’s Ministry of Finance plans to issue bonds specifically for Estonian citizens for the first time, allowing small investors to benefit from a fixed interest rate and trade the bonds on the Nasdaq Tallinn stock exchange, ERR reports. Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev says that the aim is to diversify the state’s funding sources and provide…
Latvia’s ruling coalition will soon need to discuss “painful decisions” on taxes, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that simplifying taxation was an important priority. The Ministry of Finance has developed potential proposals for changes on real estate tax, labour costs, corporate income tax, VAT, small…
The planned synchronisation of the Baltic electricity grids with Western Europe in February 2025 will slightly increase electricity prices for consumers, according to Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys, BNS reports. The impact on prices will be minimal, around a few percent, he said. Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid estimates that the synchronisation will cost consumers…
Latvia’s Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Welfare have proposed reducing the amount that employers pay for sick leave, LSM reports. Under the proposal, the first day of sick leave would remain unpaid, while days 2-3 would be compensated at 60% of the salary and days 4-8 at 70%. From the 9th day onwards, the…
Electrifying the public transport system in Estonia’s Harjumaa county would require EUR 2bn in grid investments, Tallinn deputy mayor Kristjan Järvan stated, ERR reports. He said that the project would include major upgrades to both the distribution and transmission networks to support the increased use of electric vehicles. Electrifying Tallinn’s bus fleet alone would cost…
Unemployment in the Baltic States was highest in Lithuania in May 2024, according to Eurostat data, LETA reports. The unemployment rate stood at 7.7% in Lithuania, 7.4% in Estonia, and 6.7% in Latvia. The EU average was 6%.
Estonia’s consumer price index rose by 2.8% on year in June 2024, according to preliminary data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Compared to May 2024, consumer prices rose by 0.5%. In May 2024, the annual inflation rate stood at 2.9%. In 2023, annual inflation was 9.%.
Latvia’s gross energy consumption totalled 185 PJ in 2023, which was 1 % less than in 2022, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Final energy consumption totalled 170 PJ, which was 0.9 % less than in 2022. Transport used 52 PJ (30.6%) of energy, followed by households with 45 PJ…
The Latvian government has approved a draft transport energy bill that obliges fuel suppliers to increase the share of renewable energy in their energy portfolio, LETA reports. The bill may lead to a rise in fuel prices, according to a survey of fuel traders. The Ministry of Climate and Energy notes that the transport sector…