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According to the minister, Lithuanian capital companies operating in Belarus do not continue to appear in the political context.
Today there is no certainty.
“Lithuanian companies in Belarus do not express themselves in the political context, as far as I know, but all development plans have been suspended,” R. Sinkevičius told reporters on Wednesday.
According to him, the situation in Belarus is of particular concern to Western Timber Group (VMG), which has two plants in the country, but did not comment in detail on what it meant.
“Today there is no certainty,” said the delegate minister for “social workers.”
Among the largest Lithuanian companies in Belarus is the Mart Inn retail chain, and the furniture manufacturing companies in this country are also managed by the SBA company.
Political unrest in Belarus has continued since the August presidential elections.
Loyal to the regime, the electoral commission says they were won by leader Aliaksandr Lukashenko, but the opposition says the voting results were rigged.
Photo by Scanpix / Protests in Belarus
Uncertainty and other shocks encourage some Belarusian companies, especially in the information technology field, to relocate to neighboring countries, including Lithuania.
No specific Belarusian company has yet reported a move to Lithuania, but investment promotion authorities say some 60 companies are considering it.
To encourage Belarusian investment, Lithuania is preparing to allow the registration of a company in the country that does not necessarily have a bank account; an account at an electronic money institution would suffice.
“An amendment of this type is being prepared, in the near future it will go to coordination with institutions, services, it will go to the Government and will appear in the Seimas,” said the minister.
According to him, until the adoption of this decision, the Lithuanian institutions are obliged to take care of the Belarusian companies that have contacted them.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Rimantas Sinkevičius
“Versli Lietuva”, “Investing in Lithuania” has the obligation that every company that requests from Belarus (…) carry a handrail in the literal sense of the word, take to banks, interpret, help collect certificates, in as far as possible, the documents necessary for the company could be registered, ”explained R. Sinkevičius.
The government already decided on Wednesday to temporarily simplify the visa procedure for Belarusian citizens from September 21.
Now, according to the minister, the possibility of relaxing the qualification requirements for Belarusians arriving in Lithuania is being examined.
“Some amendments will be needed in this place, which I think we will agree on,” said R. Sinkevičius.
Latvia announced the day before that it had already decided to relocate 12 Belarusian companies to it.
According to the minister, this does not mean that Lithuania has lost the competitive fight for Belarusian investments.
According to him, it is not even clear whether any Belarusian companies have actually moved to Lithuania since the beginning of the political unrest.
“There are 2 thousand people registered in Lithuania. companies with Belarusian capital and I find it difficult to say how many of them work in the field of information technology, how many of them did not create their own companies, but expanded the scope of their activities through acquaintances. You don’t have to start a company to have a business here, ”said R. Sinkevičius.
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