Ukrainian businessmen spoke about the applicable requirements in Lithuania: Changes are being prepared in the Seimas
Ukrainians doing business in Lithuania are hindered not only by the current requirement for paid wages, but also by restrictions on traveling around the world, it was said at a conference held in the Seimas. These restrictions are subject to parliamentary proposals.
Ukrainian businessmen who are successfully developing their activities in Lithuania expressed their expectations for the improvement of the legal base in the Seimas on Wednesday, according to a press release. According to Oleksijaus Jarotskijs, the manager of Donteks company, the requirement to pay two average wages for people who came to work in Lithuania from outside the European Union is practically not implemented. "Anyone will tell you that small and medium-sized businesses are the basis of the economy, but people who want to invest in Lithuania are pushed out from the very beginning," he said at a press conference in the Seimas.
Andrijus Kharkhalis, who has been developing business in the country for 11 years, the manager of the company "BFTI Europe", pointed out that in order to obtain a permanent residence permit in Lithuania, the newcomer must live in Lithuania for 5 years, during which he can leave for no more than 10 months and stay in the country for 6 consecutive months.
Oleksijus Jarotskijus
"My favorite job forces me to travel more, so I can't fulfill such norms - not to exceed ten months in 5 years. So, I have to either change the job, which I don't want at all, or change the country where I earn. However, I chose Lithuania deliberately: I like it here and I like the local laws, my children were born here, they speak Lithuanian and feel like Lithuanians", Andrijus Kharkhalis said. According to the businessman, he has to go abroad not only for business purposes, but also to visit relatives in Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Andrijus Kharkhalis said that he went through all the judicial instances in search of a possibility to obtain a permanent residence permit in Lithuania and even reached the Constitutional Court.
"The courts responded that they understand my situation and sympathize, unfortunately the law does not provide for exceptions," he said. According to Andrius Bagdonas, a member of the Seimas and a representative of the Liberal Movement faction, the amendment to the law on the legal status of foreigners already submitted to the Seimas envisages reducing the requirement of two average wages to one. "Residents running a business in Lithuania must pay at least the minimum monthly salary - this is 730 euros, at that time Ukrainians must pay two average wages - this is more than 3,000 euros. Such a requirement is not only illogical, but also makes it difficult to compete with local businesses. Of course, we would like the salaries of the employees to be higher, but the requirement to pay more than 3,000 euros is, in my opinion, excessive," said Andrius Bagdonas.
Andrijus Kharkhalis
Andrius Bagdonas
According to the member of the Seimas, Arminas Lydeka, a member of the Liberal Movement faction, registered another amendment to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners, correcting the requirement that a business migrant who has left Lithuania for 10 months or more within a 5-year period loses his permanent residence permit. "We live in a global world and people must have the right to travel wherever they want," said Andrius Bagdonas. The draft law providing for this is included in the Thursday agenda in the Seimas. According to Romas Stumbrys, head of the Business Immigrants and Investors Association, up to 500 Ukrainian businessmen are operating in Lithuania.
