The Swedish journalist was shocked by the experience in the Records Center: the bureaucracy, as in Soviet times, writes what they want in Lithuanian, I don’t understand much

AL Norberg, a Swede who faces social dumping and unfair competition, told Delfi his story after failing to find the shareholders of a Lithuanian company and receiving an annual report at the Center of Records (RC). He also sent correspondence through e. copies by email, where the Center of Records (RC) writes in English, and responds in Lithuanian, Lithuanian documents or e. firm.

“I didn’t have a big problem before because I had to request the report by email, then I received the invoice that I paid and I sent the documents to myself. This procedure seemed a bit strange compared to other countries, where you just go to the website, choose, pay with a VISA card and you get everything quickly and directly, ”says AL Norberg.

However, after 2019 ye. The email could no longer be retrieved. At that time, the Records Center also cut Lithuanian journalists from the data, and it is still not possible to find the historical shareholders data.

“In 2019, when I was trying to request data, I received a response from e. mail that I have to fill out a certain form. I went to the RC website and everything was in Lithuanian. The papers he had to fill out were in Lithuanian. I thought, damn it, I couldn’t do that. For some time, instead of RC, I tried to use the rekvizitai.lt database, which I found publicly. It is possible to know every month what salaries companies pay, how many social security contributions they pay, ”explains AL Norberg.

However, when analyzing a topic, he needed annual company reports and shareholder data.

“I decided to do everything right. I received a link where I had to fill out two different forms. Lithuanian language. You know, I don’t speak your language, as you may have noticed. Tried translating into Swedish with Google Translate and completed it. So I needed to sign the documents. I had to print them, sign them, scan them, convert them to PDF, prove that the company you applied for is mine. Then I had to explain why I needed the data. This seems silly to me, they are public documents. I should be able to see public documents, ”asks AL Norberg.

He claims he sent the self-completed Lithuanian forms, but then received a response in which RC indicated that he did not understand what was being ordered.

“I don’t even know what I signed exactly. When I sent it, I wrote that I hope I completed it correctly because I don’t know. Because in Lithuanian. And I’m not from Lithuania,” says AL Norberg.

I did not receive help

After the first failure, AL Norberg tried to obtain the documents a second time.

“I tested your information e. mail to explain. I received a reply in Lithuanian that I need to have a digital identity in Lithuania. Of course, I have nothing and I can only get it if I come to Lithuania and open a bank account ”, the researcher taught.

He claimed that he had been trying to obtain data for over a month and provided copies of correspondence with the Registry Center.

“I am very angry, disappointed and I think this is an issue that Lithuania should address immediately. Across the EU, we have the opportunity to see the annual reports of companies on who controls the companies. For the love of God, we are in the European Union, “said AL Norberg.

The journalist assures that this is important not only for journalists, but that corporate data must be open and easily accessible.

Imagine Swedish companies that wanted to negotiate or sign contracts with Lithuanian companies; they can’t be sure the company is convincing because they can’t get the annual reports. This is not a business climate, ”AL Norberg assured.

He assured that Swedish companies take their partners very seriously and evaluate what salaries are paid to employees, if all social guarantees are provided or if the collective agreement is complied with.

Compared to other countries: Lithuania as Soviet era

She compared that in Sweden many documents can be obtained by payment, some of the information is free: “If you want, I will send you a link, and there will be no problems, it will be free.” According to the journalist, Sweden’s shareholder register is public and the database can be used to find out who the owners of the company are.

“Estonia has a database called RIK. I just type the name of the company, click, and see what I can order: I put everything in the cart, as if buying clothes e. In the store, then I pay and get it. Simply with a VISA card. In Latvia, I have been a Lursoft user for a long time, where I log in, pay a certain fee and download all the data I want. I can collect everything in a second, “says AL Norberg.

He assured that he constantly uses registries throughout Europe, but the experience in Lithuania is impossible to compare with anyone. Compared to the Soviet Union.

“Papers, bureaucracies, questions you need to know why I want to get the annual report. These are my business, not yours. Why do I have to explain to whom I need information? Dear ones, it is public. They still answer me in Lithuanian. We are in the EU. Give me the information, I’ll pay for it if necessary, ”the journalist got angry.

He also shared a letter in which RC indicated that e. mail does not advise, so a call must be made. However, such attempts only became a huge expense for roaming while waiting for a response from a consultant.

“It just came to our attention then. I’ve been waiting by phone for an hour for someone to answer me at the Help Center. My phone bill will be inhumane,” he said on November 10 last year, wrote the journalist in RC.

He explained that he constantly investigates companies in Europe that try to circumvent Swedish collective agreements or the social security system by posting workers and paying insignificant wages, and the common practice that these companies operate from Lithuania.

The Records Center follows the law

In a posted comment, the Registry Center explained that foreigners can receive data in the same way as Lithuanians.

“In accordance with the Law on the management of state information resources, the data from the registers and information systems are provided to the natural persons of the Member States of the European Union (in this case, journalists) in the same way than to natural persons in Lithuania. The data from the registries and information systems managed by the Registry Center are delivered to natural or legal persons in two ways: by means of a separate request or by concluding a data supply agreement ”, the RC spokesperson said in a comment. Mindaugas Samkus.

RC states that in this particular case, on February 24, the journalist’s request for information from the Registry of Legal Persons was received and recorded, the information requested by the journalist by email. The email address was sent to you on March 1, that is, within 3 business days.

However, the correspondence with the RC sent by the journalist shows earlier dates: February 17, e. email, and even earlier, the journalist applied to other companies or tried to create an account on the RC website.

“At the request of natural or legal persons from foreign countries (including journalists or publishing offices), a data supply agreement can be concluded with them, as well as with Lithuanian natural or legal persons. On the basis of these agreements, external user accounts are created, with the help of which registered users obtain access to data from registers and information systems that legal acts allow them ”, confirms M. Samkus such possibility.

According to him, neither when submitting a separate application nor when wishing to sign a data provision agreement, it is not necessary to physically go to the customer service department of the Registration Center; just send the request by simple or by email. . by mail.

“When sending an application by email The identity of the applicant must be duly identified by email, so the application must be signed by email. The signature, not necessarily in Lithuanian, can also be an e. Signature. However Realizing that this may not always be convenient for foreign citizens, we apply exceptions to them and accept handwritten requests for their execution, ”says M. Samkus.

And the opening of the data is decided by politicians.

“The Ministry of Economy and Innovation is responsible for the formation of the open data policy in Lithuania, and the policy of opening data from registries managed by the Registry Center is regulated and established by the administrators of these registries, separate ministries. The rights of the holder of most of the main registries in the country belong to the Ministry of Justice. To this day, the Registry Center has already opened most of the three main data sets of the country’s registries – Real Estate, Legal Entities and Addresses – for free use to the public, ”says M. Samkus.