“Party during the plague”: During the quarantine, the salaries of ministry officials increased by thousands



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As the ministers explained to Lietuvos Rytas television, this was due to the abundance of work that fell during the first wave of the pandemic, which had to be attended not only after work, but also on weekends. Political scientists say such money distributions through quarantine are reminiscent of a feast during a plague.

Peter has been operating in the market for a couple of decades, but this spring, due to quarantine restrictions, operations had to be suspended for a couple of months and the government did not receive a payment of 300 euros to make up for the losses.

“I found out from other providers, I asked why they wouldn’t accept it, but I didn’t know. I can’t fill it myself, my son filled it, but it’s too late. It is clear that I would have taken, that everyone took and I did not take a kopeck either. “,” Market trader Petras told Lietuvos Rytas television.

About 80 thousand people trade in the markets. people, but payments of 300 euros reached only a small part of small traders, says Vytenis Butkevičius, director of the association “Lithuania Market and Marketplace”.

© DELFI / Andrius Ufartas

“Applying and receiving support between 5 and 10 percent, I consider such state support and this entire campaign as a failure, it suffered a fiasco. It happened because they ignored our association all the time, they didn’t take our arguments into account, right away we said that here older people should be supported in a way that is acceptable to them ”, explained the interlocutor.

Market traders claim the € 300 compensation as alms from the government.

“What is 300 euros? This is the price of a Chinese smartphone. Are we saying that people who have been banned from trading in non-food products for 3-6 months can get help to change something for 300 euros? Anaiptol “, – V. Butkevičius, director of the association” Lithuanian Market and Market “, discussed.

However, the quarantine in the spring did not reduce everyone’s pockets. Officials from more than one ministry were able to enjoy solid salary supplements throughout the quarantine.

© DELFI / Kirill Chekhovsky

In particular, employees of the Ministry of Health (SAM) and its subordinate institutions.

The earnings of the vice ministers and chancellor jumped more than a thousand euros during the quarantine, and amounted to almost 7 thousand euros. The salary of the director of the State Health Fund increased by more than 1,500 euros, amounted to almost 6,000 euros, and that of the managers of the National Center for Public Health, in 1,000 euros, to 4,000 euros.

Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga said everything was in order.

“It is good that the institutions had, could, where and also, funds were allocated to remunerate the work. They certainly did not stand still, this sector had more jobs than ever, ”Minister A. Veryga explained to Lietuvos Rytas television journalists.

The remuneration for the work of the Vice Ministers of the Interior increased by 1.3 thousand. euros and amounted to more than 5 thousand. EUR, beating Minister Rita Tamašunienė herself.

“We work very hard. And when it comes to coronavirus emergencies, that premium could be even higher for them, I’d say, ”said R. Tamašunienė.

© DELFI / Kirill Chekhovsky

The Ministry of Social Security and Labor explains that the salaries of its vice ministers have risen by more than a thousand euros during the quarantine due to the collapse of additional work.

“Most of the legislation initiated by the government is ours. This created such a situation that the work was done day and night, ”said the head of the ministry Linas Kukuraitis about the changes.

The chancellor, vice ministers and advisers to the Ministry of the Environment, who are not directly involved in the coronavirus pandemic, also received higher salaries during the quarantine. According to Minister Kęstutis Mažeika, this was due to the fact that only two deputy ministers worked in the ministry instead of three.

“It was necessary to distribute the burdens and the salary of a vice minister was distributed among the other vice ministers. Maybe that’s why it seems that change is something, “explained K. Mažeika.

Advisers to the Prime Minister of the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, as well as the Government Chancellery also received salaries of almost 500 to 1,000 euros during the quarantine.

The political scientist Jūratė Novagrockienė calls this distribution of money a party during the plague.

“When there was quarantine in the spring, it was not completely clear what the situation was here, how labor problems would be addressed, the fate of stagnant commercial institutions, educational institutions. Then there was such a dance during the plague, which was used by utilities and wasted money ”, J. Novagrockienė taught his point of view.

According to the political scientist, civil servants could be paid for their work, for example, on additional holidays.



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