PM sees plans to terminate contracts with Hanner as blow to investment setting

“As a matter of fact, the decision, which is not yet final and not based on specific requirements stipulated by the law, (…) is an immense blow upon the investment setting,” Skvernelis said on the national television LRT on Tuesday evening.

The prime minister said he had discussions with potential investors during a visit in Sweden earlier this week, as well as the businessmen who had already invested in Lithuania. In his words, one of the issues on the agenda was consistency and stability of the legal base.

“In this case, we don’t shoot ourselves in the leg – we shoot ourselves in the head,” said Skvernelis.

Last week, the National Land Service announced plans of canceling two lease contracts of state-owned land with Hanner, which is building a 20 million euro Marriot hotel in the 8 ha territory, plans to launch construction of a business center later this year and residential buildings in the future. Furthermore, a 20 million euro residential project Pilies Apartamentai is about to be completed. Total investment in the territory totals at about 200 million euros.

Vilnius prosecutors had ordered the state agency to decide on termination of the lease contracts, as the land sites were not leased by way of an auction, therefore, the land can only be used for a function that is stipulated by the legal acts, i.e., stadium operations.