Last week, the top news in Lithuania were, plans to open new centres for Ukrainian war refugees, Lithuania posting, a Kaunas official caught with 140,000-euro bribe and 14.2% annual inflation for February.
Lithuania sees much higher than usual demand for guns
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered a surge in demand for professional military gear, semi-automatic weapons, handguns and pepper spray dispensers in Lithuania, the Lithuanian business news website vz.lt reported on Monday, March 7. Lithuanian gun sellers report that their storehouses have been virtually emptied whereas suppliers which had sufficient inventories just a week ago, now have to make a queue of orders. According to the data from the Lithuanian Association of Gun Owners, there are approximately 94,000–95,000 gun owners in Lithuania, including hunters, sportsmen, holders of honorary weapons, holders of guns for self-defence as well as members of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union who are entitled to hold military weapons.
President to Blinken: NATO must help Ukraine militarily
NATO must help Ukraine by all possible means, including military measures in order to avoid World War III, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stressed that during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, March 7. He emphasised that Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military actions were shattering peace in Europe and had to be stopped by collective Western efforts. Nausėda noted that Lithuania was ready to host US rotational forces on a permanent basis together with additional American troops, providing them with the necessary host-country support. The United States currently has approximately 500 troops and four F-35 fighter jets deployed in Lithuania.
Lithuania to open new centres for Ukrainian war refugees
Lithuanian authorities plan to open centres for Ukrainian war refugees in Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys in the near future, Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said on Monday, March 7. Registration centres for the Ukrainians fleeing war have also been opened in Alytus and Marijampolė, two towns in the south of Lithuania. More than 11,000 accommodation places have already been prepared for the Ukrainians in the Lithuanian municipalities. Moreover, Lithuanian people have registered more than 7,000 homes via the NGO Stiprūs Kartu (Strong Together) and are ready to accept 23,000 Ukrainians.
Lithuania posts 14.2% annual inflation for February
Lithuania’s annual inflation reached 14.2 percent in February, the country’s statistics office reported on Tuesday, March 8. The average annual inflation rose to 6.8 percent, and the monthly price increase stood at 1.8 percent. The annual consumer price index was mostly driven up by increases in the prices of heating, fuels and oils, solid fuels, milk and dairy products, gas, vegetables, bread and cereal products, electricity, restaurant and café services, vehicle maintenance and repair services, as well as a drop in the price of water supply. The prices for consumer goods rose by 15.8 percent in February year-on-year and those of service went up by 10.3 percent.
Rail Baltica bridge contract with Italian company
LTG Infra, a subsidiary of Lithuania’s state-owned railway company Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), will be able to sign a contract for the construction of a railway bridge over the Neris River with Italy’s engineering, infrastructure and buildings’ construction company Rizzani de Eccher, the runner-up bidder in a respective tender, LTG said on Tuesday, March 8. The bridge is part of the Rail Baltica European standard-gauge railway project. The company has proposed to build the railway bridge for nearly 63.957 million euros, excluded VAT.
New camps for allies’ troops in Lithuania to be set up
New military camps for troops of Lithuania’s allies will be set up within slightly more than a month, Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said on Wednesday, March 9, adding that there have been no major logistical challenges related to the reception of additional capabilities thus far. The Lithuanian government last week allocated 40 million euros for new camps designated for additional forces. Three camps, each with a capacity of approximately 800 troops, will be able to accommodate approximately 2,400 troops in total. According to Anušauskas, new camps would be similar to the Camp Herkus set up for US troops at the Pabradė military training area, north-east of Vilnius.
Tax reform in Lithuania may be put off
The Lithuanian government will not hurry to submit a planned tax reform to the Seimas and, even if the respective proposal reaches the parliament during its spring session, it will discuss postponing the enforcement of changes until a much later date, Lithuanian media reported on Wednesday, March 9. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė is said to have basically agreed that such issues must be discussed rationally and pragmatically considering the evolving situation.
Lithuania adds 6,094 new COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths
Lithuania recorded 6,094 new coronavirus infections and 11 deaths from COVID-19 over March 9. Some 5,176 of the new cases were primary, 912 were secondary and six cases were tertiary. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 1,417, including 71 ICU cases. Some 950,600 people have contracted the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in Lithuania, and almost 8,600 people have died from COVID-19. The 14-day infection rate has reached 2,314.5 per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests stands at 48.7 percent. Some 69.7 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine jab so far.
Kaunas fficial busted with 140,000-euro bribe
A staggering 140,000 euros have been found at the home of Vilius Siliauskas, director of administration at the local municipality of Lithuania’s second-largest city of Kaunas. The money is believed to be a bribe. A local prosecutor confirmed that the bribe had been paid by the executive of Autokausta. On Wednesday, March 9, Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis suspended Siliauskas from his duties. Siliauskas has been the head of the Kaunas City Municipality administration since November, 2018, when he replaced the then head of the administration who resigned. According to the investigation, Siliauskas may have accepted a bribe from the director of an unnamed company in exchange for construction and related works contracts.
Lithuania to supply Ukrainian refugees with free necessary prescription drugs
The Ukrainians fleeing war who have registered at the Migration Department’ registration centre will be provided, free of charge, not just the basic healthcare services but also the prescription medicines prescribed in Lithuania for non-hospital treatment, the Health Ministry said on Thursday, March 10. Doctors will be able to issue prescriptions for prescription medicines electronically or, in exceptional cases, in the paper format.
Week in Lithuania: Lithuania set to open new centres for Ukrainian refugees, Kaunas official caught with 140,000-euro bribe
