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It is necessary to consider whether it is necessary for the Seimas to maintain the hotel; it could be replaced by rental compensation, says Seimas president Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.
Amendments to the Statute of the Seimas will be presented to the Seimas on Tuesday, which would establish that MPs with real estate in Vilnius would have to pay the rent of a parliamentary hotel if they lived there.
Currently, members of the Seimas who do not have a space to live in Vilnius do not pay to live in a parliamentary hotel, and those who have real estate in the capital can live in a hotel if there are places, paying only for utilities.
The head of parliament said she would vote in favor of these amendments, but said that in the long run savings would likely be realized if the Seimas hotel is completely abandoned and the Gediminas avenue building sold.
“Another general objective would be to consider the need for a Seimas hotel. This requires a broad political consensus and in the Board we are determined to take the first steps. The vision is that the members of the Seimas rent, but it is necessary to agree on a mechanism on how make up what amount, ”V. Čmilytė-Nielsen told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.
He said that the countries of the European Union have different models for the accommodation of parliamentarians, but have a minority of their hotels.
“Usually it is compensation for the rent. In the long run, this would be a considerable amount, but it must be assessed that the Seimas hotel as a building also requires constant investment, needs to be repaired and similarly, we would probably save money if we went the sales route. “Said the head of the parliament.
The Seimas Hotel is located on Gediminas Avenue in the capital, opposite the Parliament. It has 72 one, two and three bedroom apartments. Initiatives to cede premises in parliament are no longer the first term, but so far they have not come close to implementation.
Members of the Seimas who do not have their own home in the capital have the priority right to stay in the hotel, but if there are vacancies other parliamentarians can live, only they have to pay for public services.
The Statute of the Seimas stipulates that in the first row an apartment is provided to those members of the Seimas who do not have and have not had a place of residence in Vilnius for the last five years and have a place of residence more than 25 km away. outside the capital. They are reimbursed for the cost of living in a Seimas hotel (hot and cold water, electricity, gas, thermal energy and utilities).
Other Seimas members who live in a Seimas hotel pay for hot and cold water, electricity, gas, thermal energy, and utilities according to approved rates.
Author Milena Andrukaitytė
