After Lithuania Has Entered the Huge European Union Market

Business development - an art and a need

A journalist Juozas GIRDVAINIS has visited the company AB Achema, talked to engineers, chemical industry specialists, operators of the uninterrupted production processes and compared the production data of the present day and 1985-1990. Chemical industry specialists and chemists working in laboratories have positively evaluated the product chemical analysis and assured that the production of AB Achema meets the highest quality standards.

WHAT IS NEW IN JONAVOS ACHEMA?

“Could Lithuania follow the example of Jonavos AB Achema in entering the huge EU market?,” I ask one of the first engineers of Achema company, graduate of the Kaunas University of Technology (former Kaunas Polytechnic Institute), Doctor of Technical Sciences Bronislovas LUBYS.
“Achema was established in 1990 and boasts the experience of over ten years. Achema manufactures top quality and competitive chemical products what has helped the company to survive on the market. The EU integration has even more strengthened our powers and made Achema a large and profitable company.”

CERTIFIED PRODUCTION

“Lithuanian companies in increasing their production volumes should also learn to enlarge sale of this production on the world markets. Mr. Lubys, could you please share your experience how to enter and learn to trade in the huge EU market, in the USA, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and also Central Asia? In what direction should Lithuanian industrialists guide their commercial relations and what instruments should be taken to protect the domestic market?”
“The EU market is complex and raises many issues that were and are very important”.
“Besides usual requirements, there exist many intricacies in product certification. For instance, food products must be certified according to the whole technological production process. A company must be issued with a certificate approved in the EU laboratories permitting to launch the production and sale of food products.”

THE FACTOR OF SUCCESS
“I regularly remind the heads and specialists of companies belonging to the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists that holding ISO 9002 management and ISO 14001 environmental quality management certificates is indispensable wishing to trade in the EU”.
“The EU says that companies do not holding such certificates will not be allowed to enter the EU market. While some Lithuanian businessmen still think that if they are not to enter the EU market, they will sell their products in Lithuania. We must once and for all remember that Lithuania applies the same commonly recognized rules that function in the EU for long”.
“On the other hand, Lithuania still has lots to do to catch up with the EU strict requirements by its legislation and psychological thinking.”

TRUSTING A PARTNER
“Lithuania acceded the EU on 1 May 2004 and since then it faces many business-favourable solutions and well-wishing initiatives. Lithuanian industrial and food products do not need any quotas to be freely sold on the common EU market according to permitted limits - the aggregate of quality factors. The major task is to find trustworthy and reliable partners. Lithuania, like all other countries, wishes to honestly develop commercial relations and sell its products. Trusting a partner becomes a golden value. What requirements of business ethics are raised to our entrepreneurs?”
“Business ethics plays a major role in entering into business contacts with European businessmen. Cheating a business partner is said to be cheating oneself once and for all, and you will always find it to be more difficult to re-enter a market or resume business contacts after the fraud. And you will always be regarded as a untrustworthy partner.”

LITHUANIA’S UGLY VICES
“For instance, in Lithuania anybody who wishes may libel you, your honest business partner and a politician, to order to publish a hideous article or false information in the mass media or broadcast it on TV or radio. These are ugly vices that, let’s hope, our information society will outlive and not without the help of relevant legislation. There is the right to write and there is the right to protect oneself.”

STRONG PARTNERSHIP RELATIONS
“Such cases are no more recorded in Western business world. Business people organize business-like meetings, matchmakings; pass decisions with the help of associations and business clubs. They are open and sincere in their intentions and plans. The trust in partners is not earned in a day or two, or in a year, and tight relations are a great help in hard days. We faced a need for such help several times and immediately received it from our Western partners.”

THE SECOND FACTOR OF SUCCESS
“In our business, we strive to maintain long-lasting relations with all business partners. Good partnership is the second passport to successes after the product quality that secures successful business development. Companies palling to enter the EU market must be transparent and be able to offer the top quality certified production.”

WHAT DOES AWAIT US ON EASTERN MARKETS?
“Production exceeds consumption in Europe today, so it does in Lithuania. Will the Eastern market remain important as the production outlets?”
“Belarus, Russian and Central Asian markets are unpredictable where very often business issues are discussed and solved subjectively, and are viewed from political aspects. However it is not officially declared that the supreme governing authorities have political influence.”

HOW TO GET A TICKET TO A BUSINESS TRIP?
“Russia is governed by local “dukes”, called governors or mayors. They belong to the highest ruling authorities and good business partnership usually begins from entering into good contacts, having diner or a drink namely with “dukes”.
“The same rules exist in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine where you usually begin business from a public institutions and not a business partner. Sometimes, a public servant will even tell, and not advice, you who to begin business with”.
“West and East mean absolutely different business tendencies, mentality and methods. However I should also note that the politicians’ influence to business is diminishing in the East and this fact should be well noted before starting a business”

ARE CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS PROTECTED
IN LITHUANIA?
“In our conversation we have already touched upon protection of the Lithuanian market and I think that it firstly depends upon our governing bodies.
“In later years, the Lithuanian government creates equal legal conditions for Lithuanian businessmen to develop business very painfully and that is a bad tendency. Let’s say Estonian entrepreneurs have far better conditions for developing partnership and the Estonian market is much better protected. Although they face the Finnish impact, they have much larger privileges, as compared to Lithuania. We in Lithuania still are expecting to have equal rights with foreigners on the Lithuanian market.
“In passing laws on electricity and gas, the Lithuanian legislative bodies radically diverge from the EU directives what will result in judicial proceedings. The Lithuanian business community so far is not ready to file cases against Lithuania, however a day will come when it will do so. I do believe that a newly elected Seimas will strictly follow the EU directives. Misinterpretation of EU directives made by the previous Seimas hinders business development very much. Protection of consumer rights is the major regulation exiting in all EU directives.”

WILL THE LITHUANIAN CAPITAL LEAVE LITHUANIA?
“Let’s make an example. A person buys shoes and it seems nothing strange about that. A businessman, in manufacturing them, also buys raw materials, uses electricity and gas. So a producer and a businessman is both a buyer of raw materials and services, and also a seller. And in this case a businessman shall have the superiority of a buyer’s right. Owners of monopolies do not want to recognize and follow EU directives. The Lithuanian government will have to create equal conditions for developing business both in Lithuania and abroad. Lithuanian entrepreneurs cannot have better conditions for making business in Germany, France or the Netherlands than in Lithuania. However, money, like radio waves, disregard borders and already today some of the Lithuanian capital is planned to me moved from Lithuania.”

“Won’t it happen so that the Lithuanian government will look for business investment in foreign countries, while the Lithuanian capital will be forced to leave Lithuania?”
“This is one of the most topical issues in the sphere of Lithuanian business today and it shall be, without any delay, discussed and solved by the newly elected Seimas and the Government. One of the clearest and the worst examples is an attempt to make regulation of daily allowance for business trips”.

WHY DO WE NEED THE EASTERN MARKET?
“Today, the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists is said to be an influential non-political organization having a decisive word on Lithuania’s scale. Lithuania maintains strong commercial relations with Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France and also with Eastern countries, like the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan. How important are Eastern markets to the European Union and so to Lithuania?”
“To my opinion, the Eastern markets are very important to the European Union. Many Lithuanian products will not be competitive due to high prices of energy and natural resources. If energetic resources exceed 5 percent of the cost price in manufacturing a product, such a product will not be competitive on the Eastern markets in many cases. Also such products like cement and fertilizers will never be competitive in the East.”
“However, certified food products will always remain on demand in the neighbouring Eastern countries. Thus I think that we should strive to maintain our positions on the Eastern markets, and increase sale and production in them.
“Generally speaking, the production quality guarantee still has to make a long way to get recognition, while a certified product will always be on demand.
“For instance, political relations of Lithuania and Belarus are not always clear, however the sale of Lithuanian products in Belarus and vice versa continuously grows.”

DEVELOPING TOURISM IN THE EAST
“So far we were speaking about certified production and its outlet markets. Let’s turn to tourism and discuss how a holidaymaker, a guest or a family member may get to Lithuania or to the Eastern country?”
“The Lithuanian politicians, instead of improving relations with Belarus like Poland, Latvia and other countries, do not create good conditions for improving partnership and cooperation of both countries. One of the best examples is high prices of visas. It is not normal that a Lithuanian regular visa costs 20 euros, and you will have to pay 35 euros to get it quicker. If we add a fee for arrangement of all documents, a single-entry visa will cost around 50 euros. Meanwhile, a Polish visa for Belarus people and a Belarus visa for the Poles costs 5 euros and Poland is also a EU Member State.”

SHALL WE GO TO BELARUS?
“How should small and medium-sized business be developed in Belarus and Lithuania?”
“These issues are to be solved by Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries.”
“What instruments should help to develop tourism, weekend trips, organize cultural events, promote theatre going, etc.?”
“If a visa costs up to 5 euros, not only resorts of Druskininkai, Zarasai, Klaipėda and Vilnius would become abundant in holidaymakers but also flows of tourists from the Eastern countries and Lithuanian tourists going to the East or Central Asia would also grow.”
“All countries must create the best conditions for developing small and medium-sized business that is said to be the major source of state revenues. Finally, medium-sized business moulds the prerogative of the state policy. Lithuania should direct huge attention to these issues especially today after it has become the EU Member State.”
“What would be your wishes on the Eve of Christmas and New Year?”
“I would wish my colleagues and all people of Lithuania peace and harmony. Let all of us show and nurture love to Lithuania, be in harmony with ourselves and in families. Let us all here, in Lithuania, create a better civil society and strive for better life to ourselves and our children. I wish all of you harmony and well-being.”
“Thank you, dear President, very much for an open conversation. I would like to wish you strength, good health and optimism that you never have lacked. Merry Christmas to you and your family.”

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A TAX INFORMATION CENTRE IS TO BE ESTABLISHED IN LITHUANIA

The State Tax Inspectorate in cooperation with the Customs and Excise Administration of the United Kingdom has launched a PHARE Twinning Project Tax Information Centre. Marijona Varneckienė has asked the Head of the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance Violeta LATVIENĖ to tell more about the project.

- Why does Lithuania need a Tax Information Centre?
- Lithuanian companies and residents pay taxes voluntary under the procedure established by the Lithuanian law. Lithuanian taxpayers compute taxes on their own and they must posses as diverse information about taxes and their administration as possible. About 70 per cent of all infringements to tax laws are unintentional and emerge due to misinterpretation of tax regulations, amendments and supplements to tax laws, newly passed laws and other normative documents, etc.
A duty of a tax administrator is to furnish taxpayers with all information and consultations they need. At the moment, such consultations are given by training and consultation centres established at state tax inspectorates; State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance has a website and publishes tax information in mass media. Nevertheless, taxpayers still feel the lack of information on tax issues. They say that looking for information takes too much time; consultants of tax inspectorates give different answers to one and the same question. This project should help to timely provide taxpayers with the information they need and to present the same interpretation of tax laws.

- What new possibilities will the Tax Information Centre open?
- In analysing the needs of taxpayers, we have established that taxpayers prefer receiving information by telephone and they find telephone to be the most convenient and the quickest way to obtain information. However, very often the phones are busy or it is difficult to get someone on the phone. Today, about 100 specialists of the tax inspectorate give consultations and sometimes they find it difficult to answer all requests. The project Tax Information Centre envisages establishing a Telephone Call Centre. All companies and residents will receive information by a short telephone number that will function like the short information number 118. The specialists of the future Telephone Call Centre will operate special and regularly updated information and will provide all interested persons with comprehensive and uniform information on tax issues.

- Do other countries have similar Tax Information Centres?
- Twinning projects in Europe were launched in 1998. In the framework of these projects, EU Member States help each other in creating modern and efficient public administration systems, raising qualification of employees and managers.
In the course of project implementation, the current system of services provided to Lithuanian taxpayers will be analysed, and the best model of Tax Information Centre will be chosen. During project implementation, Lithuanian tax administrators will visit UK and Dutch telephone call centres where they will learn to operate special technical equipment. Even five centres with the staff of 60 people each provide telephone consultations on VAT, excise tax and customs issues in the United Kingdom. These centres receive about 2 million taxpayers’ requests per year.

- How much will the establishment of a new centre cost and when will it be opened?
- The estimate of the project Tax Information Centre is 5.7 million litas, of which 5.2 million litas will come from the EU PHARE programme. The remaining half million litas will be allocated by the Lithuanian Government.
The project will be implemented in a year and a half. The major works will be creation of the activity model, purchase of computer equipment to distribute phone calls, preparation of methodical guides and information about services to be given by telephone by future consultants.

- How many people will work in the Tax Information Centre? What type of requirements will be raised to them?
- About 60 qualified specialists will be employed in the centre. The qualification requirements for future consultants will be prepared in cooperation with British experts. We will also develop a continuous training programme for consultants. The operator of the Telephone Call Centre will not allowed to say “I don’t know” and in case he does not know the answer, he will have to immediately find the information and call the client back.

- Who are the project managers?
- The project manager from the Lithuanian part is the Deputy Head of the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance Birutė Černiuvienė and from the British part Head of International Relations Division of the Her Majesty’s Tax and Excise Public Service David Hesketh. The long-term advisor from Great Britain is Janice Ramsay and the project coordinator in Lithuania is Vaida Misevičiūtė, Chief Specialist of the Tax Information Division of the Department of Taxpayers Services in the State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance.
The specialists of the tax inspectorate will actively participate in project implementation, will realize many different tasks, gain professional knowledge and experience.

- Thank you very much for the interview.

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THE FUTURE AND PROSPECTS OF IGNALINA NPP REGION

Arnoldas Abramavičius, Director of the Ignalina NPP Region Development Agency

The Republic of Lithuania has passed a political decision to shut down the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant by the end of 2009. As a result, the personnel of the plant and the neighbouring municipalities will soon feel the negative outcomes of the decommissioning and face the increasing unemployment rates. The first challenge will be shutting down the Unit 1 at the end of 2004.
Striving to get ready for the smooth decommissioning of INPP, the Republic of Lithuania Government adopted the Programme on Ignalina NPP Unit 1 Decommissioning and measures for its implementation on 19 February 2001. One of the measures is establishing an Ignalina NPP Region Development Agency to draft and implement social-economic projects in the INPP region. The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant region consisting of Ignalina, Zarasai Districts and Visaginas Town was formed by Republic of Lithuania Government Resolution No 287 of 26 February 2002, that has also established the principals for formation of the Region Development Council. The Region Development Council consists of Utena County Governor, mayors of municipalities in the INPP region and members of municipal councils (one from each INPP region municipality). The Action Plan for Implementation of the Programme on Ignalina NPP Unit 1 Decommissioning has been approved by the Ministry of Economy.

The legal background has been laid, however it is far more important to analyse the situation existing in the INPP region. What type of people live here and what do they do for living? What is the infrastructure? Only an in-depth analysis will disclose the needs of the region and its prospects for the future.
The primary task was drafting the strategic programming document - Region Development Plan that set the major aims in region development: regeneration of the region from the social and economic aspect, creation of new jobs and enhancement of sustainable development. The Region Development Plan was drafted according to the methodology approved by the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior and in consideration of priorities and measures set in the Utena Region Development Plan.

The Ignalina NPP Region Development Plan was approved in the beginning of 2004. The plan provides for implementation of 210 economic and social measures and projects in the Ignalina NPP region following four priorities in region development:
a) business, industrial and rural development;
b) development of human resources;
c) development of infrastructure and environment protection;
d) creation of safe and progressive community.

Each of the municipalities of the region plans to prepare its own development strategy strictly following the Region Development Plan and its priorities. The efficiency of activities and social-economic stability of each municipality will greatly depend on these plans.
Lithuania’s accession into the EU has brought the support of EU structural funds. Business entities and a public sector must learn to prepare professional applications, feasibility studies and other documents. The INPP region Development Agency gives financial support to SME entities to prepare applications. The Lithuanian Ministry of Finance, in implementing Point 4 of Republic of Lithuanian Government Resolution No 573 of 8 May 2003 has envisaged additional marks in evaluating eligible projects and the possibility for financing these projects to be executed in the region from ministerial budgets.
The Ignalina NPP Region Small and Medium Business Development Programme has been drafted as a constituent part of the Regional Development Plan. The measure Direct business support was launched in 2003. Following this measure, the SME entities will receive grants to implement the business development projects, prepare business plans and applications for the support of EU structural funds. The major task in the seek to reduce the potential growth of unemployment is to secure the establishment of new work places in the SME sector, enhancing the competitiveness of companies and introduction of innovations and advanced technologies. 210 new jobs have been created in the region using the direct business support measures.
The Ignalina NPP Region Small and Medium Business Development Programme envisages the necessity to increase the competitive advantages of SME companies in the region, allowing the companies to re-assess their place on the regional market and activity strategies, especially in expanding the realization markets. Small companies need the largest support since they, as a rule, lack the turnover means. On the other hand, small companies, compared to large, are more flexible, react to market changes much quicker and find it easier to operate on a regional market. It shall be also noted that during the whole decommissioning process businessmen are offered new possibilities to participate in decommissioning-related activities, assimilation of alternative energy resources, etc.
The Ignalina NPP Region Business Incubator in Visaginas provides information-advisory services, offers premises for preferential lease to newly established companies.
Ignalina and Zarasai Business Information Centres are two more very important business support instruments.
The Programme of Local Initiatives and the Programme for Work with Youth support the non-governmental sector. In envisaging the long-term urban development and strategy of the region, drafting of the general plan of the region was launched in 2004 that should become a basis for the long-term development of municipalities in the region.
The major goal of all municipalities and region development institutions is to create qualitative living conditions through the use of all natural, cultural and social resources existing in these municipalities, provision of residents with jobs and ensuring that the whole community could have access to the available potential.
Only complex and concentrated attempts of regional governing bodies, business entities and social partners in cooperation with state governing authorities will help to soften the outcomes of INPP decommissioning both on the regional and national scale.
To my opinion, the exclusive attention to SME development and support measures are becoming major instruments in ensuring sustainable development of the region and creation of new jobs.

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Golden Medal for Management of Technological Processes

Bronius Miežutavičius, Director General of UAB Vilniaus vandenys

The major goal raised by the company UAB Vilniaus vandenys is, through the rational use of natural resources, to supply the consumers with high quality drinking water, collect and perform treatment of wastewater and improve the ecological situation in Vilnius city. The said services are available to all users, they are given uninterruptedly and irrespectively of natural conditions, season or time of the day and are said to be vital and very important. The company supplies drinking water to residents of Vilnius and neighbouring districts.
UAB Vilniaus vandenys regularly participates in contests arranged by the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists and has been nominated as the winner of many highest awards. In 2002, UAB Vilniaus vandenys was awarded the medal “Lithuanian Product of the Year” for water quality improvement equipment of Antaviliai waterworks, in 2003 - the medal “Lithuanian Product of the Year” for modernization of the wastewater treatment facility. The Control and Management System of Technological Processes for Water Extraction and Supply has been awarded the golden medal this year.

UAB Vilniaus vandenys has been certified according to ISO 14001 environmental management system and operates following ISO 9001 quality management system. The company expands, looks after, modernizes and regularly renovates its networks, and in such way improves the quality of its services.
In many cases, the efficient operation of water supply and wastewater systems depends upon the control of technological processes and management solutions. Striving to smoothly solve the existing problems and eliminate the restrictive factors, the company regularly upgrades the control and management systems of technological processes helping to secure the provision of vitally important services.

The technological processes control and management system consists of a central dispatch centre that integrates all local dispatcher centres, water pressure measurement control points in the water-supply network and automated water supply pump-houses, and local dispatch centres that integrate water supply pump-houses, water quality improvement equipment and water fields.
The central dispatch centre of UAB Vilniaus vandenys is situated in an administrative building in the centre of Vilnius. The personnel of the dispatch centre and people on duty directly coordinate operation of all units participating in water extraction and supply process. Emergency services inform the central dispatch centre about liquidation of accidents, heads of water-supply departments coordinate all preventive and repair works done in water supply networks with the central dispatch centre. The central dispatch centre also receives residents’ complaints about water quality, disorders in water supply and the central dispatch centre is the place where the decisions are passed how to ensure water supply, liquidate accidents and breakages in Vilnius city. Besides these functions, the algorithm of operation of water-supply pump houses is formed in the central dispatch centre allowing, on the least energy costs and optimum capacities, to secure uninterrupted supply of water to consumers irrespectively of amounts of consumed water. To smoothly carry out all the said functions, the dispatch centre must regularly receive information about condition of equipment in water-supply stations, must maintain uninterrupted communication with all units participating in the process, and sometimes even directly operate water supply equipment. State-of-the-art computer equipment, software and telemetric equipment installed in the dispatch centre helps to implement the aforementioned tasks.
The central dispatch centre, via direct two-wired communication lines or GPRS switched in the GSM network, is connected to pressure measurement control points in the water-supply network and automated water-supply pump houses. The computers of the dispatch centre are connected to the computer network of UAB Vilniaus vandenys and personnel of all other units may monitor the operation of the system. In using the information collection and process control software InTouch by the company Wonderware installed in computers of the central dispatch centre, a dispatcher sees all technological schemes, parameters of water-supply stations and the network in the monitor of his computer. Specialists of the central dispatch centre may not only monitor operation of all water fields, second and third lift stations but also control their technological equipment.
Information received from local dispatch centres and other objects is stored in computers and provided to a dispatcher in the form of time schedules and reports. If one of the controlled parameters exceeds the established limits, a sound message appears on the computer monitor that informs a dispatcher about a breakage in the technological regime. Time schedules of water-supply stations, pressure in the network, water level in reservoirs and debit of supplied water help to exactly establish time and duration of a breakage or a broken technological regime, compile algorithms of operation of water-supply stations.
All local dispatch centres are situated in the second lift water-supply stations. The personnel on duty controls the operation of the station, connected water fields and water improvement equipment.
The work regime of the station is coordinated with the central dispatch centre where the work of all dispatchers is arranged. The control (switching on and off) of depth pumps, monitoring of their status (do they operate or not, is the remote control of a pump possible or not, what is the load voltage of a pump, etc.) are done from the computer of the dispatch centre though controllers arranged in water fields.
A computer monitor shows a dispatcher technological schemes of a water-supply station, water improvement equipment and time schedules of technological parameters. If one of the controlled parameters exceeds the established limits, a sound message appears on the computer monitor that informs a dispatcher about a breakage in the technological regime and a dispatcher may take corresponding decisions.
A dispatcher controls the whole technological process of the complex, may perform necessary control operations using computers in the dispatch centre. A double reserve computer, software, telemetric and communication equipment has been installed to secure the reliability of the whole system and it automatically switches on, without stopping the technological process, in case the main equipment is out of order.
The control of operation of water-supply stations from the central dispatch centre and local dispatch centres have helped the company to cut down water supply costs. Regulation of pressure in water-supply networks secures uninterrupted water supply to consumers, reduces pressure fluctuations in water-supply networks thus reducing the number of probable accidents and water losses, and helps using water resources much more rationally.

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Wide assortment of new furniture and a complex of services in BaldŲ rojus

Rimantas GRIGARAVIČIUS,
UAB Baldų rojus Director General

Vilnius,
Kalvarijų St. 125
Office@baldurojus.lt
Tel./fax
+370 5 27 000 88

Baldų rojus is a leader in retail sale of furniture. It offers living-room, bedroom, youth-room, anteroom and office furniture, sells household appliances.
The commercial area of the renovated trading centre together with wholesale and franchise partners occupies over 23 000 square meters. The new building stands out by the original architecture and is an example of innovatory interior and colouristic solutions.
We are proud to say that Baldų rojus is one of the most modern furniture trading centres in Lithuania. It displays and sells modern furniture manufactured in Lithuania, Germany, Italy, France, the United States, Asia and other countries. Here, a buyer will always find the richest assortment and the newest selection of furniture of the world-famous furniture manufacturers SCHIEDER, Hand Made Sofa, MTI Furniture, Venier, Forte, Euopea, Parisot, IMS, Black Red White and other. The centre sells the furniture by instalments, offers consultations of designers, awards cards of a privileged buyer that entitle to discounts, presents and participation in lotteries.
Baldų rojus has introduced a new service - complex interior solutions.

Baldų rojus is a leader in retail sale of furniture. It offers living-room, bedroom, youth-room, anteroom and office furniture, sells household appliances.
The commercial area of the renovated trading centre together with wholesale and franchise partners occupies over 23 000 square meters. The new building stands out by the original architecture and is an example of innovatory interior and colouristic solutions.
We are proud to say that Baldų rojus is one of the most modern furniture trading centres in Lithuania. It displays and sells modern furniture manufactured in Lithuania, Germany, Italy, France, the United States, Asia and other countries. Here, a buyer will always find the richest assortment and the newest selection of furniture of the world-famous furniture manufacturers SCHIEDER, Hand Made Sofa, MTI Furniture, Venier, Forte, Euopea, Parisot, IMS, Black Red White and other. The centre sells the furniture by instalments, offers consultations of designers, awards cards of a privileged buyer that entitle to discounts, presents and participation in lotteries.
Baldų rojus has introduced a new service - complex interior solutions.

What is a complex interior solution?
Baldų rojus takes care of all interior-related matters:
- a qualified team of designers will prepare an interior design, will advise what furniture and accessories to buy;
- qualified salespersons-consultants will help to choose furniture from the huge assortment;
- a transport team will deliver furniture to its final destination;
- carriers will take the furniture to your flat or house;
- specialists will quickly assemble the furniture at your place.
Attractive prices and a flexible discount system.



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Our mission is to protect the Lithuanian market from unsafe non-food products

A journalist Elena BERUKŠTYTĖ
talked about activities of the State Non Food Products Inspectorate
with the Head of the Inspectorate Dr. Ramūnas LEBEDYS

Head of State Non Food Products Inspectorate Dr. Ramūnas LEBEDYS, “Let me take this opportunity and wish all readers of your journal and Lithuanian consumers Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I wish all of you to give and get safe and high quality Christmas presents!”

Gedimino ave. 38/2, Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel./fax: 262 94 13,
e-mail: rastine@is.lt
Http://www. inspekcija.lt

Public Health Under the Surveillance of Medicines Control

A journalist Elena BERUKŠTYTĖ
talked to the Director of Inspectorate of Pharmaceutical Enterprises under the State Medicines Control Agency Irena VAKETAITĖ

Veisiejai - the Land of Pinewoods

free land areas for reforestation purposes hinder smooth business development

Jolanta Tamošaitytė spoke to the Director of Veisiejai State Forest Enterprise Zenius ŽELIONIS

The Director of the Veisiejai State Forest Enterprise Zenius Želionis was born in 1955 in Lazdijai. Since 1961 he attended the Lazdijai Secondary School and in 1972 entered the Forestry Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Agriculture. In 1978, Z. Želionis started to work as the forestry officer in Liepalingis Forestry of Veisiejai State Forest Enterprise, later held the position of Deputy Director of Veisiejai State Forest Enterprise and was awarded the position of the Director in 1999.
Zenius Želionis actively participates in cultural life of Veisiejai: he and his wife Ramutė dance in the dancing group of elderly people, play music instruments and sing in an ensemble of Veisiejai House of Culture. Z. Želionis has two children Sandras and Simona.

NO SNOW, NO ICE

Vilma VALIUKEVIČIENĖ,
Deputy Director of IĮ Švaros technologija