Month: December 2018

No Picture
Economy

Heating season has started: Lithuanian homeowners face the poorest heat retention in the Baltics

December 10, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

Start of a new heating season not only boosts household bills for the municipal services, but also calls for attention towards heat sufficiency. Despite the above-zero temperature up to the mid November in the country, Lithuania has been the least successful in passing the test of colder temperatures in the Baltics – homes in Lithuania provide the least comfort to their residents, a press release from Rockwool states. […]

Economy

Lithuanian robotics industry is ready for a growth spurt: from robots that think to smart things that save lives

December 10, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

The latest innovative products and solutions under development and already in application by Lithuanian business and science were presented at the press conference “Innovative Lithuania: Science and Business Solutions and a Look at 2019” dedicated to topicalities of robotics and digitalization. It was attended by numerous representatives of business and science who discussed today’s robotic situation in Lithuania and in the world, the trends and forecasts in this area, and shared their experience and challenges in the application of innovations. […]

Bundestag
CORPORATE

Green Wave in Europe – A New Hope Or ….?

December 7, 2018 Egidijus Vareikis 0

Deutsche Welle, German news broadcaster, called the “Grunen”, the most successful Green Party of all times in the world. What’s more, they named them the greatest political winners of recent times, although the Christian Democratic Union – CDU – has recently won local elections with its allies and subsidiary policy creatures. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

Skvernelis’ ultimatum regarding elections: it wouldn’t be just any scandal

December 7, 2018 Aleksandra Ketleriene 0

“If the budget is not approved, next year there may be no elections,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis stated on Thursday. According to him, this would happen because the Central Electoral Commission would simply not have the funding for the elections. However, political scientists tell Delfi that elections will happen in all cases but one. However, they note no one would want it. […]

No Picture
CORPORATE

Noise regarding Scandinavian banks. Are there really too many in Lithuania?

December 7, 2018 Media Briefing 0

Almost fifty Lithuanian and foreign capital banks have worked in Lithuania since 1989. There have been German, Irish and Polish banks, which eventually withdrew from the country or went bankrupt, Association of Lithuanian Banks president Mantas Zalatorius recalls. More competition would only benefit Lithuania, he believes, thus there is need for an ever more appealing investment environment. Meanwhile, economist Romas Lazutka says that it is difficult to enter the small oligopoly bank market in Lithuania, lrt.lt writes. […]

No Picture
Economy

AI goes banking: Ondato presented unique KYC solution at Slush in Helsinki

December 7, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

Major start-ups conference Slush in Helsinki featured a Lithuanian accent as Vilnius based fintech company Ondato presented its unique KYC (Know Your Customer) solution for the community of start-up creators and investors. Based on biometrics and AI technologies, Ondato KYC have already made history a month ago when it became a finalist of Lighthouse project implemented by MasterCard and investment fund NFT Ventures. Ondato have already launched pilot project of implementing its new solution at one of Lithuanian banks. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

PM warns of crisis if parliament fails to approve state budget

December 7, 2018 Xinhua 0

Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has warned on Thursday the country would face crisis if the Parliament fails to approve the State budget on time. […]

Dalia Grybauskaitė
Politics

Questions for the president about commercial and central banks’ actions in crisis investigation

December 6, 2018 Media Briefing 0

The Seimas Committee on Budget and Finance will request President Dalia Grybauskaitė to answer questions on the financial crisis. She will be sent questions about the actions of commercial banks and the Bank of Lithuania by committee chairman Stasys Jakeliūnas. Former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius criticises such pursuits and similarly to the president, describes S. Jakeliūnas as inadequate, lrt.lt writes. […]

Dalia Grybauskaitė
CORPORATE

R. Lopata: it could appear that we have become a presidential republic

December 6, 2018 Media Briefing 0

Lithuanian foreign policy is weakened by the fact that all the powers of its formation and implementation are focused in one location – the institution of the president, while its other centres – the cabinet and Seimas are passive, political scientist Raimundas Lopata tells lrt.lt. “Lithuania is a unique country, whose prime ministers do not go to Brussels. It could appear to some that Lithuania has become a presidential republic,” the professor is quoted by lrt.lt. […]

Economy

A growing number of Balts are struggling with debt despite the growing economy

December 6, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

In the wake of a long period of economic growth, savings have gone up – but so has indebtedness. A growing number of people are struggling: every fifth European needs to borrow in order to pay bills. That group has increased from 15% three years ago to 20% this year. In the Baltics, the situation differs from country to country. Every third Latvian has borrowed money to pay bills. In Lithuania, the situation is comparable to the EU average (19%), while in Estonia the numbers are relatively low and only 12% of consumers have borrowed money in the last 12 months in order to pay bills. […]

No Picture
Economy

Bank of Lithuania survey: 400 euro needed for better lives

December 6, 2018 Media Briefing 0

While the citizens’ financial circumstances are improving, many families would be content with their living conditions in Lithuania if they had 400 euro higher incomes. This was found by a household survey commissioned by the Bank of Lithuania, its press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

No Picture
Economy

Investor confidence in the Lithuanian economy reaches a three-year low

December 6, 2018 Media Briefing 0

The trust of foreign capital companies operating in Lithuania in the country’s business prospects have faltered this last quarter of the year and are at their lowest in three years. This was revealed by research on investors’ confidence in Lithuania performed by the association Investors’ Forum. The negative moods among investors were mostly due to the lack of political stability and continuing growth in the gap between wages and work efficiency, lrt.lt writes. […]

No Picture
Economy

Contribution of volunteers to the budget of Lithuania – even 7.4%

December 6, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

Celebrating the International Volunteer Day we are pleased to announce that more people in Lithuania are dedicating their time for volunteering. Congratulations to every citizen for such a conscious choice, which adds value to the various non-profit organizations, raises the social capital of the individual, and also contributes to the state budget, a press release from the Non-Governmental Organizations Information and Support Centre states. […]

Arvydas Juozaitis
Foreign affairs

Alternative for Germany building connections in Lithuania

December 5, 2018 Media Briefing 0

Having gained popularity in Germany, the far right party is seeking supporters in Lithuania as well. At the invitation of presidential candidate Arvydas Juozaitis, three MPs from the anti-immigration and recognising the Crimean annexation Alternative for Germany, have arrived in Lithuania. A. Juozaitis says that their view match over immigration and the European Union, but not Russia. Political scientist Tomas Janeliūnas notes that isolated by traditional parties in Germany, the AfD is seeking international recognition, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

Skvernelis softens his tone

December 5, 2018 Aleksandra Ketleriene 0

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis wrote on his Facebook profile, which introduced a softer tone toward the striking teachers. He admitted that anger, emotions and unwillingness to hear one another took hold. “Passions or even destructive actions are dominating, rather than rational discussion,” S. Skvernelis stated. […]