Lithuania’s foreign direct investment (FDI) development agency, Invest Lithuania (Investuok Lietuvoje), approved 26 FDI projects in the first half of 2023, LRT reports. The agency reported that 12 new foreign companies have announced investments in Lithuania, and 14 foreign firms already operating in Lithuania plan to expand. The investment projects are expected to create more…
Lithuania remains an EU leader in terms of the market share of contraband cigarettes, according to KPMG’s market research, DELFI reports. The study found that altogether 2.63 billion cigarettes were consumed in Lithuania in 2022, which was 0.2 billion less than in 2021. Contraband cigarettes accounted for 0.59 billion of the total, which was 19.2%…
Hundreds of people took part in the Vilnius Pride march in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 1 July 2023, LRT reported. The march was organised by the Trans Autonomija association and civil society initiative Demonstruokimes (Let’s Demonstrate). Families with children and foreign guests had come to express their support for the Lithuanian LGBT community. Participants…
Lithuanian beer producer Kalnapilio-Tauro Grupe (Kalnapilis-Tauras Group) suffered a loss of EUR 726,000 in 2022, primarily due to the war in Ukraine and other factors, Baltic News Network reports. In 2021, the group made a net profit of EUR 1.6mn. The group’s annual revenue totalled EUR 81mn in 2022, which was up 15% from EUR…
A new procedure has come into force in Lithuania in cases of domestic violence as of July 2023, LNK reports. If domestic violence is reported, police can order the suspect to leave the house immediately for 15 days. There are an average of 55,000 reports of domestic violence a year, and 86% of the victims…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has given its initial support for the government’s tax reform package, with 72 MPs voting in favour, 31 against, and 22 abstaining, Baltic News Network reports. The package will now proceed to parliamentary committees for further examination and will return to the main hall in autumn 2023. A total of…
The Lithuanian government has approved the Social Security and Labour Ministry’s proposal to raise the minimum monthly wage by 10% to EUR 924 before tax as of 2024, Baltic News Network reports. Pending parliamentary approval, the minimum hourly wage will also rise from the current EUR 5.14 before tax to EUR 5.65. Social Security and…
The Lithuanian government has imposed a temporary ban on transit shipments of specific dual-use goods through Lithuania, Baltic News Network reports. The concern is that these goods could ultimately reach Russia and Belarus and be used in the war in Ukraine. The control list comprises 57 categories of goods subject to restrictions, primarily items containing…
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, urged Hungary not to delay the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership until autumn 2023, Baltic News Network reports. He emphasised the importance for Hungary to fully comprehend the implications that such a delay could have on the security of the entire NATO alliance, particularly in the Baltic region. Earlier, the…