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This amount is slightly lower than the same period last year. In the first quarter of 2020, almost 293 thousand LTL were spent on parliamentary activities. euros. At that time, the quarantine restrictions were practically not in place yet, they went into effect in mid-March.
According to the Ethics and Procedures Commission of the Seimas, this year the largest amounts were assigned to politicians for the operation of vehicles and payment for services rendered by producers of public information. Some MPs spent between $ 1 and $ 2,000 each in the first quarter of the year. euros.
Souvenirs, stationery, paid office rental, telecommunications and internet services, reports for printing and distribution were also purchased.
For three months, the members of the Seimas were able to allocate a maximum of 3,547 euros for parliamentary activities.
The members of Seimas Petras Gražulis and Justas Džiugelis declared exactly those expenses. After more than 3 thousand. A total of two dozen members of the Seimas spent one billion euros on parliamentary activities.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis traditionally did not use the funds allocated for parliamentary activities. The president of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen paid 279 euros for telecommunications and Internet services, the Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas, the Minister of the Interior Agnė Bilotaitė and the deputy Kristijonas Bartoševičius did not use 100 euros each.
Aušrinė Norkienė, a “peasant”, chair of the Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission, which oversees the validity of the use of parliamentary expenses, told BNS that despite the quarantine, Seimas members incur daily expenses related to the job.
“Naturally, the fuel and maintenance costs of the car are high, because the Seimas worked throughout the quarantine. Those who have to come (to Vilnius – BNS), while we drive, so do we. We only had a remote plenary session when we were working from home. When the systems failed, we went back to normal work, ”said A. Norkienė.
According to her, the parliamentarians have adapted to other working conditions: some events, meetings and exhibitions take place in a virtual space.
“Of course, we have adapted, both anniversaries and commemorations are taking place. Part of the cost is still there. The work has moved to other forms, but not in such a way that no cost is required, ”the head of the Ethics Commission told BNS.
With the introduction of universal quarantine in the country last November, events, gatherings of people, and face-to-face gatherings were banned, and movement between municipalities was banned from mid-December to mid-April.
Last year, Seimas members spent a total of $ 1 million on parliamentary activities. 408 thousand euros.
Members of the Seimas are assigned an average monthly salary of 0.8 for expenses related to their parliamentary activities: office, computer equipment rental, communication services, transportation expenses, car operation, souvenirs, public information services , etc.
