Lithuanian Ministry of Finance is preparing a proposal to the Government to again increase the excise duty on alcohol from 2015.

While politicians argue that the Russian blockade will only bring minimal consequences to Lithuanian economy, the life of some of the agricultural producers and carriers has already turned into a nightmare.

The manufacturer of fertilisers and chemical products in Lithuania – Achema company owned by Concern Achema Group – resumes its operation at full capacity as of 1 October, 2014.

The Lithuanian cable operator Cgates has acquired two companies – UAB Ukmerges TV and UAB Rakarin for an undisclosed fee, broadbandtvnews.com said.

Statistics Lithuania informs that construction input prices in August 2014, against July, increased by 1.1%. Over the year (August 2014, against August 2013), construction input prices increased by 2.3%.

Statistics Lithuania informs that, based on provisional data, in August 2014, the turnover (VAT excluded) of retail trade enterprises* amounted to LTL 2698.4 million; against July, it decreased by 1.1% at constant prices (seasonally adjusted – by 0.1%).

Lithuania has a proven track record in PPP's, ranking 1st in Eastern Europe for the comprehensiveness of its PPP regulatory framework. Invest Lithuania intends to build on that experience going forward.

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius says that Lithuanian consumers are expected to pay 10-20% less for heating, because of the previous overpayment to the Russian gas giant Gazprom and the related rebate.

The Government has decided to increase the minimum monthly wage to LTL 1,035 (EUR 300) and the minimum hourly wage to LTL 6.27 (EUR 1.82) from 1 October, 2014.

Lithuania Post, one of the largest companies in the country, has implemented an up-to-date IT system that will ensure smooth work of the company and higher quality level of the services provided. For the purpose of this modern centralized IT troubleshooting management and solution monitoring system, the company has made an investment of LTL 250 thousand.