Dalia Grybauskaitė
Politics

Lithuanian president delivers State of the Nation address: The world is not a peaceful place

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė made her annual State of the Nation address at the Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, on Thursday. In her speech, the president mostly focused on national defence, security challenges stemming from Russia‘s aggressive policies, as well as emigration of working-age population. Grybauskaitė also stressed the need to work more on addressing social issues, particularly in childcare institutions. […]

Economy

EC recommendations for Lithuania: less tax on labour, more tax on wealth

Lithuania has received recommendations from the European Commission on the most pressing issues in the economy that need addressing. Disturbingly, over 30 percent of people in Lithuania face poverty risk, labour taxes are punishing, while levies on wealth – less detrimental to economic growth – are all but non-existent. Experts say the first steps would be introducing tax on real estate and cars. […]

Gamyba Šiaulių „ROL/Statga“
Economy

Lithuania’s GDP up 1.5 percent in Q1

Based on flash estimates, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.4 percent in both the euro area and the European Union during the first quarter of 2015, compared with the previous quarter, said Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. […]

Economy

Will Lithuania survive without EU structural funds?

This is the last financial period that Lithuania is entitled to billions of euros in support from the European Union‘s structural funds. After 2020, the cash flow from the EU coffers will decrease significantly and Lithuania will have to learn to do without the support that currently makes a sizable contribution to its economy. Some economists say that unless the country uses the current funding right, economic growth after 2020 might all but stop. Others are more optimistic, insisting that Lithuania’s economy is stable enough to sustain growth even without EU injections. […]

International Monetary Fund
Economy

IMF classifies Lithuania as advanced economy

On Tuesday, 14 April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its World Economic Outlook in which Lithuania has been classified as an advanced economy. Previously the IMF regarded Lithuania as an emerging market. […]

Christoph Klingen, chief of the IMF Staff Mission to Lithuania
Economy

IMF revises down GDP growth forecasts for Lithuania

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised down its forecast for Lithuania’s economic growth this year to 2.8 percent, from 3.3 percent projected last October. […]

Economy

Lithuania’s economy grew more than estimated in 2014

“We are pleased that the revised GDP for 2014 compared to 2013 increased by 3 percent rather than by 2.9 percent as it was announced in the preliminary estimates. The higher growth was driven by the growth of the construction industry, also, the Government’s decisions regarding housing renovation under the new programme,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said on Monday, referring to revised data from Statistics Lithuania. […]