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“The Board of the Council of Small and Medium Enterprises that met yesterday decided to address the Government, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, the Minister of Finance and the Budget and Finance Committee of the Seimas with a request to adopt other measures to prohibit the small and medium businesses”. and Dalia Matukienė, president of the Council of Medium Enterprises.
According to her, small and medium-sized companies are well prepared and can continue their operations.
“During the first quarantine period we understood why it was necessary to close certain small activities, today we do not understand it because during the period in which it was said that the second wave would come, small companies were extremely well prepared. We have all the tools, masks, partitions that are needed, disinfectant, some shops and hairdressers have made emergency entries, they have working hours. The company is fully prepared to guarantee safe sales and safe customer service, ”said D. Matukienė.
According to her, the city council intends to ask the Competition Council to clarify whether this situation complies with the Competition Law.
“The fact that large supermarkets can sell what is prohibited to small ones is a very clear violation of the Competition Law and we are preparing a letter to the Competition Council asking to clarify whether this situation, as announced today in Lithuania, is in fact in line with the Competition Law, “said D. Matukiene.
At the time, Vytenis Butkevičius, director of the Markets and Markets Association, also stated that these rules discriminate against small businesses and said that the ban on the activities of most of them should result in a compensation mechanism.
“Today, a small businessman, who receives an amount of 257 euros, cannot pay taxes, earn a living, maintain a business, buy food or medicine. We have to reconsider, this amount is too small, “said V. Butkevičius.
According to him, the cost of renting the market must also be reimbursed.
“Most markets have borrowed from banks. Banks continue to demand contributions. If the market cannot collect taxes from the small entrepreneurs who trade with them, problems automatically arise, so the market rent must be repaid.” said V. Butkevičius.
According to him, it would also be possible to declare markets as preferential tax zones or allow open-air trading where coronavirus is less likely to be transmitted.
A government decree will only allow the sale of food in markets as of Wednesday, while non-food stores will not be prohibited in stores whose main activity is the food trade.
The government discussed the restriction on Monday, acknowledging that it distorted competition, but did not make a decision.
“I don’t have a good decision and I don’t think any of those present at the meeting or making decisions are happy and we recognize that the little ones will be affected, but now take additional repressive measures and wrap shampoos or other products in supermarkets with more energy STOP “. – The Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė said on Monday.
On Sunday, the government extended the quarantine until January 31, in addition to tightening quarantine measures: restricting movement from one municipality to another, banning non-essential goods stores, leaving food, optical and orthopedic hardware stores open, pharmacies and veterinary services.
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