Seimas unexpected decision regarding 1.6 million. Šimonytė was angry: there was still no such cynicism in this country

“There has never been so much cynicism in this country,” he said.

The meeting also caused confusion over the vote to allocate an additional € 46 million to science. euros. In the event of disagreement among Seimas members on which voting results should be valid, a technical interruption was announced. Originally, the budget was scheduled to be adopted at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“There were no procedural violations,” Aušrinė Norkienė announced after the Ethics and Procedures Commission meeting.

Most rejected

Public debt is projected to be 47.5 percent in 2020. of GDP, in 2021 – 51.9 percent, in 2022 – 50.5 percent, in 2023 – 52.1 percent. This year, the budget balance should reach -7.6 percent. GDP, -7% in 2021, -2.8% in 2022, -2% in 2023.

The government’s improved state budget project estimates its revenue at $ 11.25 billion. The appropriations will amount to EUR 15.83 billion. The budget deficit will reach 4,570 million euros. euros. The government’s debt limit is set at 4,030 million. euros.

Members of the Seimas had submitted 58 proposals for the project, but the government did not approve most of them.

The offer of Žygimantas Pavilionis for 44 thousand. for the Permanent Representative of the Seimas to the Congress of the United States.

The proposal of the parliamentarian Laurynas Kasčiūnas for 100 thousand. to reduce the credits of the Special Investigation Service for the acquisition of real estate and to allocate them to compensation for seniority, and for Artūras Žukauskas’ proposal to increase the credits of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports by 11.7 million euros. to compensate for the development of digital education and learning losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposal by the members of the Seimas Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius, Dainius Kepenis, Tomas Bičiūnas, Eugenijus Gentvilas and Sergejus Jovaiša to increase the credits for the Office of the Ombudsman for the Protection of Children’s Rights by 19 thousand was also partially approved. EUR: will be used for the severance pay of the controller.

On Tuesday, members of the Seimas voted in favor of the same government-supported projects. Many other bills were not approved because the MPs who presented them did not provide realistic sources of funding.

“This is a new investment project and when it comes to the source of funds, the DNA Plan for the Future Economy or the Public Investment Program, I mean that the DNA plan is not a source, but simply a list of projects. Sources are RRF funds or budget funds, or support from the European Union.

We are talking about including a new project in the state investment program, which is not possible under the approved Investment Law, because new projects are not included, ”said Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė about one of the projects, repeating a similar phrase several times later.

Dedicated to the Chancellery of the Seimas

One of the bills adopted by the parliamentarians (78 in favor, 7 against, 18 abstentions) without the government’s approval was Ričardas Juška’s proposal to allocate an additional 1,584 million LTL to the Seimas Chancellery. euros.

“The Seimas has discarded 4 million. Euros. We rebuilt a little, but it will still be -3 million. Euros. There are many personnel working here, they do not work for the salaries they deserve,” urged Valius Ąžuolas to vote for the project.

Mykolas Majauskas, for his part, asked for a vote against.

“I couldn’t disagree more, we are in a very difficult situation. The only thumb that needs to be lifted and shown hopefully are the doctors working on the front line. It would be very strange for me to look those doctors in the eye when we made the decision to increase the salaries of our assistants instead of the doctors working on the front line. What is our priority? After all, we have put in the necessary funds, but that is not enough, we are asking for additional information, ”he said.

After the vote, Prime Minister I. Šimonytė addressed the previous ruling coalition.

“I congratulate the previous government for not increasing the budget itself, not even for what is required to meet the minimum requirements of the law, and now it has increased the deficit for which I try to blame the cross. There has never been so much cynicism in this country, “he said.

As explained in R. Juška’s proposal, after the Government reviewed the state budget project for 2021, an additional 1,120 million LTL was allocated to the Seimas Chancellery. EUR, which is only part of the real need for 2021 (44%).

I wanted to dedicate myself to science

Seimas members also initially approved Artūras Žukauskas’s complex proposal, which allocates another LTL 45.8 million to the field of education. funds loaned on behalf of the state.

73 Seimas members voted in favor, 15 spoke out against it, 23 more abstained and applause was heard in the House after the results were announced.

The government disagreed. G. Skaistė said that this is a fundamental change. “It just came to our attention then. Euros, which are not included in the budget deficit,” he said.

However, Jurgis Razma, who chaired the meeting, asked that the vote be repeated. The votes were then distributed as follows: 67 in favor, 25 against and 18 abstentions. The extension was then voted on and a negative decision was made, so the budget approval will continue overnight.

Paulius Saudargas, who chaired it, announced that the second vote is considered valid. Tomas Tomilinas asked the Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission to come forward. “We should do a 20 min technique. to break. Wheat Ethics and Procedures Commission to examine this issue, ”said P. Saudargas.

After the meeting, A. Norkienė reported that all 11 members of the commission (6 majority and 5 minorities) were present. “There were no procedural irregularities with 6 votes in favor and 5 against,” he said.

President Gitanas Nausėda has not yet signed the draft budget before 1 January. Parliament is scheduled to approve the draft budgets for Sodra and the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund on Wednesday.

Some other changes

Finance Ministry Delfi explained why the new government’s improved project is expected to collect € 7 million from property tax. EUR, that is, almost 30%. plus.

“The legislation stipulates that the appraisal of real estate for tax purposes is carried out at least every 5 years. The last mass valuation was carried out at the end of 2015 and the values ​​determined during the valuation were used to calculate the property tax for the tax periods of 2016-2020.

As of the 2021 tax period, the new approved mass valuation documents will enter into force, which will determine the new tax values ​​of the properties, which are also evaluated in the improved budget project, ”the Ministry responded.

In addition, the ministry commented on several other increases in appropriations.

“To ensure the implementation of the activities of the Ombudsman’s Office for Equal Opportunities (increase in the number of employees), an additional 65 thousand LTL were assigned. euros.

Following the presentation of the preliminary draft budget, on November 11, the Government approved a resolution reorganizing the Lithuanian Social Research Center, the Lithuanian Institute of Law and the Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics, merging them into a new institution, the Lithuanian Center for Social Sciences, as of January 1, 2021.

The Lithuanian Center for Social Research will not stay next year and will not be awarded credits. The funds of the three merged institutions, that is, 2,241 million. The improved project foresees a new institution: the Lithuanian Center for Social Sciences ”, the Ministry representatives pointed out.