With the introduction of the new order, the prices of the halls of the capital skyrocketed, suspected of counterfeiting.

Disproportions give rise to the conspiracy theory

Starting this fall, sports facilities and other premises of general education institutions can be rented centrally via the Active Vilnius platform.

Schools and sports clubs were the first to do so, starting on October 1. it will be the turn of all the townspeople.

The new system has increased the offer of places and rooms and has simplified their search. However, some non-formal education tenants were baffled by the sudden rise in prices.

By decision of the city council, only the minimum rent was set at 0.35 euros per 100 square meters per hour.

Some schools focused on this, while others did not shy away from fees up to 20 times higher.

In the summer of preparation of the new description of the procedure for the rental of stadiums, gyms and other premises run by educational institutions, the budget and private hills for athletes were trapped in different corners of the sheet.

Following a series of complaints that the municipality is sponsoring its own sports schools, guaranteeing them a right of priority in the choice of bases, the description has been adjusted.

But now another conspiracy theory has been born: that rental prices have risen especially, because only individuals will need to scratch their wallets: budget institutions can use the corridors and squares for free. So in this way, the bases are supposedly meant to scare away unwanted competitors.

“Some schools rent gyms at much higher prices. And it is in these pavilions, as is clear from publicly available information, where activities are carried out by budgetary sports institutions. If this is the reason why prices are rising or if there are other reasons, nobody confirms or denies us.

But, logically, neither the geographical factor nor the condition of the rooms explains why prices are higher in some schools than in others “. Delphi Neringa Juškienė, director of the Association for Non-Formal Education of Children and Young People, spoke.

The schools are separated by a kilometer and the price varies 25 times

Last year, when general education schools were also able to compile their own price list, the cost of renting a gym by the hour usually ranged from 1 to 3 euros per 100 square meters. Utilities were to be accounted for separately and are now included in the total.

Most schools have maintained similar or even reduced rates, but others have done the opposite. As a result, prices in some rooms now differ up to 25 times.

For example, one hour in the Gabija Progymnasium gym in Pašilaičiai will cost 38.85 euros for private athlete training institutions this school year.

You can rent the room just 1.5 km away for 1.57 euros, not the beloved Fabijoniškės gym.

The price of the Salomėja Neris gym in the heart of Vilnius is 5.33 euros. Or 1.14 euros for 100 square meters.

The square meter of the Sietuva progymnasium hall located in Justiniškės is seven times more expensive. 100 of them cost 7.2 euros here. This is double the minimum rate set by the municipality for commercial time tenants, not to mention non-formal educational institutions.

Four sports schools are eligible for this room. Daina Valackienė, director of Sietuva Progymnasium, did not reveal what.

“The price includes service, electricity, water and all the other things that do not have to be paid separately. Those things compensate, and therefore, in our eyes, that price does not seem high. We think, we actually calculate – for us the price It is normal “, – Delphi said the head of the progymnasium.

At that time, private sports schools, of course.

The municipality doubts

“When we raised this issue in the municipality, those responsible gave the only explanation: schools have the right to set the price independently. They don’t see the problem and they don’t intervene. But some members of the council understand that they will not be able to solve social problems under such conditions, ”N. Juškienė complained.

Head of the municipal sports project Rokas Germanavičius Delphi He repeated the same thing that the head of the association that groups private academies of basketball, football, hockey, tennis, volleyball, karate had already heard.

“We really don’t want prices to go up. But if the hallways were lifted somewhere, you have to go to that school specifically. Schools have the right to set their own rental prices and they exercise that right.

I cannot comment on specific cases, no one can say who is eligible for those aisles, who will win the competition. It is a pity that those private institutions, which are now complaining about prices, protested about non-essential things when preparing the leasing procedure, and did not touch on this issue at all, ”said the representative of the municipal administration.

However, Edvinas Eimontas, head of the municipal sports and health department, who took office in the middle of the summer, agrees that the sudden inflation in the capital’s schools does not smell.

“A new rental system is needed, it gives more clarity. But there are always those who want to take advantage of the situation to cheat. That should not be the case. We also react: people work, call, ask why those prices are set. ” Delphi said the former president of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF).

Thursday was the last day sports schools were able to submit applications on the Active Vilnius platform. Next week it will be clear who won the base competitions coveted by more than one stakeholder.

Tenants will be classified according to a complex formula that includes geographic, mass and social criteria.

According to R. Germanavičius, it is realistic that it will be necessary to announce an additional contest, as some non-formal education institutions requested all the bases followed to be sure.

The representative of the municipal administration does not rule out the possibility of improving the procedure for renting gyms and playgrounds, which has just started.

“If the city council decides, it will be possible to equalize prices for everyone or regulate them more, for example, to set not only a lower limit, but also a ceiling. It would be easier for us, as a municipal administration, to do so, because we would avoid interpretations similar to those that are being born now ”, considered R. Germanavičius.

Following the transformation carried out in 2014, four inexpensive sports schools remained in the capital, including the liquidated Vilnius football school.

Almost 2,5 thousand. 1.1 thousand young athletes train at the Vilnius City Sports Center. – Basketball schools in Tauras and Vilnius. A total of 5.9 million has been allocated to these institutions from this year’s budget. euros. The municipality is also a partner in four other public institutions that develop tennis, football and handball.