2024-07-14 13:09:23
“It’s a very strange decision for me. When the new Government arrived, it sang every corner of Lithuania with very loud slogans, very quickly put together its plan by renaming it, very loudly advertising it in the media, and now it is unable to implement that plan.
Two years pass and only 33 percent. funds have been used, when at the same time we see huge problems in terms of public financing and regional development”, said V. Sinkevičius in the program “ELTA Kampas”.
“The city of Vilnius covers our regions very nicely, but let’s go next door, Ukmergė, Anykščiai, Panevėžys district and we see very big differences, very big differences in people’s incomes,” he noted. V. Sinkevičius also testified that the Government, by not being able to fulfill its obligations regarding the RRF plan, shows its incompetence.
“The government’s inaction, which is now being tried to cover up by suing the Commission, looks very strange. But Lithuania very successfully opened new precedents regarding the RRF plan, it was the first country that had to calculate the so-called fine for an unimplemented plan, the first country for which the Commission did not approve the renewal of the plan in full,” said the European Commissioner.
“Now it has been decided to extend the priority mission, on the bad side, by deciding to sue the Commission, failing to implement the plan signed by themselves. This is simply incompetence,” he emphasized. According to the future MEP, it is still possible to receive all the funds of the RRF plan intended for Lithuania, but it will be a big challenge for the future Cabinet of Ministers.
“This will be a huge challenge for the new Government. This is a very difficult gift, which the current government will leave for a new one, because it will be necessary to implement a very large number of reforms and commitments, while negotiating with the Commission, looking for opportunities, and getting approval in the Lithuanian Parliament,” V. Sinkevičius said.
“Everything is possible until the last moment when the line is drawn, but it will be very difficult,” he assured.
ELTA reminds that Lithuania has received almost 1.36 billion from the RRF fund. EUR – 886 million EUR subsidy part and almost 470.3 million The current value of the plan is 3.85 billion. euros (2.3 billion euros in grants and 1.55 billion euros in loans). This is almost double the value of the original economic recovery and resilience plan.
Lithuania has also turned to the OSCE, responding to the EC’s partial 8.7 million. euro sanction for the part of the Lithuanian RRF plan.
Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė said last week that the second request for the payment of funds from the RRF fund to Lithuania is suspended until the parliament makes decisions related to the tax reform package. According to her, if the necessary changes are not adopted, the EC can apply sanctions.
Ignas Dobrovolskas (ELTA)
2024-07-14 13:09:23