State Road Transport Inspectorate Launches a New Project

Darius Sadaunykas, Deputy Head of State Road Transport Inspectorate

A new project - introduction of a new-generation digital device for registration and control of drivers' work and rest regime in road vehicles - digital tachograph is being implemented in the European Union. In Lithuania, the project is realized by the State Road Transport Inspectorate. After Lithuania's accession into the European Union, many fields of activities of the Inspectorate have expanded. It has assumed new functions especially relating to harmonization of control procedures and introduction of efficient measures meeting the latest scientific and technical progress, all this directed to ensure the effective control, economic progress and development of the road transport sector.

A digital tachograph is a new-generation digital device for registration and control of drivers' work and rest regime, as provided in the Council Regulation of 24 September 1998 EEB/2135/98 partially amending Council Regulation EEB/3821/85 on tachographs in road transport vehicles. The digital tachograph is used to record, store, show and print data relating to driver's work. The EU legal acts establish that the Member States shall take all measures to start issuing identification cards used for the record of work and time in digital tachographs (tachograph cards) from 5 May, 2005, and to install digital tachographs in all transport vehicles put into operation from 5 August 2005.
In Lithuania, the project on digital tachographs is implemented by the State Road Transport Inspectorate (further Inspectorate). Following the relevant legislation, the Inspectorate carries out the functions of the Member State Authority in introduction of digital tachographs and tachograph cards, ensuring functioning of the system and supervision. Striving to timely and successfully implement the project on digital tachographs in Lithuania, the Inspectorate has formed working groups, has approved the schedule for introduction of the digital tachographs system and the organizational scheme for introduction of the digital tachographs system. On 9 March, 2005 the Inspectorate signed an agreement on supply of personalized and digitally certified tachograph cards with the winner of the public tender "Trub Baltic AS". The agreement has been signed for four years during which the company "Trub Baltic AS" has agreed to supply 50000 personalized and certified cards used in digital tachographs (driver, company, control, workshop).
The digital tachograph registers many very important data: identification number of a vehicle, calibration data, personal data of a driver, date/hour of card inserting/taking out, number of drivers, types of driver's activity (driving, rest, etc.), distance, breakings and divergences from the norm, inspection time and data, speed, etc.
The data may be printed by the tachograph printer, i.e. information contained in the card and the tachograph may be printed, also the information about the activity of the driver may be seen in the tachogaph monitor.
The digital tachograph, different from the currently used analogical tachograph that is used to enter data about the driver on a registration sheet - tachogram, enters and stores data in its memory and in micro-processor tachoraph cards. The cards are used to identify the personality of a tachograph user.
Data and functions of the digital tachograph may be used only according to the user's identity. The information entered into the tachograph card and the memory of a vehicle by special software may be copied to the computer and other data files for storage, analysis and sending.

THE LAND OF UNIQUE BEAUTY
Visit the crystal-clear lakes and rivers!

Vytautas VIGELIS, Mayor of Svencionys District Municipality

You should not necessarily go to far away lands to spend vacation or have a good rest with your family or friends. We invite you to visit Ðvenèionys District and enjoy your rest at crystal-clear lakes, rivers and rivulets.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. The territory administered by Ðvenèionys District Municipality rich in lakes and rivers, hills and forests is situated in the north-east of Lithuania, bordering on Belarus: from Adutiðkis forests in north-east up to Neris loops in south-west. In the north, the district borders on Ignalina and Utena Districts, in the west - Molëtai and south-east - Vilnius Districts. The overall area of the Ðvenèionys District is 1692 square kilometres.
POPULATION. According to the last Population Census, the district population was 32 992, of which 47.4 per cent were Lithuanians, 28.8 per cent Poles, 16.2 per cent Russians, 5.5 per cent Belarus and 2.1 per cent other nationalities. 19 116 people resided in towns and 13 876 lived in the country.
BUSINESS. The major business activities in Ðvenèionys District are wood industry, sewing, tourism, gathering and processing of mushrooms, berries and herbal plants, agriculture and rural businesses, cardboard production, bakery and confectionary business, manufacture of fish products, peat extraction and processing, construction and buildings materials industry, medicine industry, transport.
Public Enterprise Business Information Centre was established in 1999, followed by its branches in Pabradë (2001) and Ðvenèionëliai (2005).
To support businessmen, Ðvenèionys District Municipality has founded the Business Development Fund (2002). The Fund gives aid to formation of business-supporting institutional system, new and operating small and mid-size companies thus striving to preserve the potential of companies operating in Ðvenèionys District, maintain jobs, promote business development and attract investment.

Values of nature

The land of Ðvenèionys is famous for the unique nature, wonderful lakes sparkling like dewdrops in the morning sun, rivers and rivulets intertwined among meadows and green forests. Landscape and climate-curative monuments, rich cultural heritage attract tourists and promote tourism development.
You should not necessarily go to far away lands to spend vacation or have a good rest with your family or friends. We invite you to visit Ðvenèionys District and enjoy your rest at crystal-clear lakes, rivers and rivulets. Water bodies cover even 3 per cent of the district territory. The largest of 289 lakes, the Lake Kretuonas (800 hectares). The largest island (19 hectares) is inhabited by rare birds. The Lake Kretuonas has been declared as an ornithological reservation. Settlements scattered along the Kretuonas Lake are unique by their archaeological monuments known since the Neolithic age. The River Neris runs along the southern border of the district; even more torrential tributary Þeimena goes from north to south, disgorged with Lakaja, Perðokðna, Mera and many other smaller rivulets. Lakes and rivers belonging to the Þeimena watershed are absolutely clean and is the spawning place of salmon, trout, sea-trout and vimba. Tourists taking the water route may reach the Baltic Sea from the most eastern part of Lithuania.
Ðvenèionys District is proud of beautiful forests covering 53 per cent of the territory and inhabited by various fauna species attracting hunting fans. In Adutiðkis forestry, commercial hunting area covers 2543 hectares. Ðvenèionys District also includes a big part of the largest in Lithuania Labanoras Forest with over 80 lakes, wonderful rivulets. Here, one may find rare plants, various spawning fish species. Rural population of Labanoras Forest has preserved ancient traditions, songs, tales and small folklore until the present days.
Eastern Aukðtaitija abounds in wonderful monuments of nature that must be carefully preserved and advocated. Aukðtaitija National Park, Lananoras, Sirvëta and Asveja Regional Parks occupy a large territory in the district. They are adapted for making bicycle, pedestrian and water tours and enjoy the protected unique monuments of nature.
Among the most famous architectural monuments is XVIII century ensemble of Cirkliðkis estate and park with the extant estate house, ice-cellar and forge.
Values of Ðvenèionys land culture and history are protected in Nalðia Museum and its Reðkutënai branch where one finds sections of music, work tools, numismatics, archaeological findings, weaving, church possessions, partisan resistance and rural history. The museum also exhibits old documents, pre-war newspapers and journals.

The present

Ðvenèionys District has over 150 cultural heritage objects and 400 tourism objects. Seeking to even more expand the tourism potential, we are planning to prepare five technical projects: reconstruction and rehabilitation of short and long bicycle tracks with panorama sites, polar settlements in Kretuonas Lake, Iron and Bronze Age settlements, Rëkuèiai defence mound, Rieðkutënai branch of Nalðia Museum. Ðvenèionys District Municipality is a member of the Euro-regions Eþerø kraðtas and Nemunas. A great number of projects has been, is or will be implemented in cooperation with these regions, among which are development of camping sites, marking tourism objects, building bicycle and auto-tourism routes, etc. The district will apply for the support of EU structural funds to go to creation of water tourism routes and infrastructure, arranging 4 largest and most popular beaches.

The future

The passing by time raises new tasks and generates new ideas. New relations, business development and preservation of culture should help to create much better and more promising future. The fundamentals are being already today. It is the Ðvenèionys District Development Strategic Plan Until 2010 approved by the Ðvenèionys District Council and the general plan that is under preparation. These two documents will serve as a basis for drafting the investment programme and defining investment zones. Implementation of measures envisaged in the Strategic Plan will demand about 135 million litas, expecting to receive 53 million litas from the EU structural funds, also from Public Investment Programme, Privatization Fund, foreign funds and private investors.
Wonderful nature and rich historic heritage create the best conditions for developing tourism services. Renovation of old recreation centres is carried out, rural tourism farmsteads are established, the range of services is expanding (bird watch, fishing, hunting, cognitive flights, water tourism). By 2007, private investors have promised to renovate and adapt for tourism needs the old kinder-garden in Pavoverë village, building a hotel, restaurant and sauna. The municipality invites investors to invest into rural tourism business in the territory of protected ethnographic villages and offers grants from the Business Development Fund. There are plans to renovate the Cirkliðkis ensemble and park, Zalavas estate buildings and adapt them for public needs and cultural tourism.
Alongside tourism development, Ðvenèionys District Municipality has undertaken many other works in improving business, social infrastructure, environment protection and so on. The plans are great and we will work hard to be able to invite you to even more beautiful and picturesque land of Ðvenèionys.

NEW CHALLENGES FOR LITHUANIAN TRANSPORT SECTOR
AFTER JOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Zigmantas Balcytis, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania

Transport in the enlarged European Union has acquired more global and important role in the common market. Recent years were the years of great changes for Lithuania and other new EU countries. Taking into consideration the new challenges the Ministry of Transport and Communications prepared a new long-term (until 2025) strategy for the development of the Lithuanian transport system. The long-term vision of the strategy is the creation of a modern and balanced multimodal transport system that correspond, by its technical parameters, safety and quality of services, the level of the EU. It is expected that through the efficient interaction with transport systems of the neighbouring countries, the Lithuanian transport system will contribute to the development of business activities and economy.
The new situation forced us to change the attitude, to reconsider our policy priorities, to make harder solutions. Large Logistic nodes, seen in other countries, previously seemed to us a long-term perspective for freight forwarders, at present is becoming a reality, even a necessity, with the view of efficient management of freight flows and regional freight distribution. Today, in Lithuania, we speak already of establishment of the whole range of logistic centres.
Speaking of multimodal transport one could recall that not long ago it seamed quite an unknown transport mode. However, at present, it becomes more and more popular. Now multimodal transport more often replaces one transport mode by several other ones. For example, the combined freight transportation train 'Viking' travelling in the Transport Corridor IX by the route from Klaipëda to Odesa/Iljichovsk has already gained its force - the amounts of carried freight grow significantly and steadily. Container traffic through Klaipeda Seaport is developing successfully as well. The growth of container freight last year reached more than 47%. In Klaipëda Seaport the simplified passenger traffic regime is one of the factors that preconditioned the increase of passenger transport by almost 10%.
European gauge railway line Rail Baltica not long ago seamed to be an unrealisable idea, so presently this project has assumed a concrete aspect - it has been included into the list of TEN-T priority projects. And it is becoming a realistic and possible alternative way for carriers especially now, when European countries one by one introduce the road charges.
If several years ago the physical infrastructure development was considered the most important priority, now we look upon it as a permanent and successive process of the transport system. Now we witness emerging other important priorities, such as road traffic safety and security. Also the railway transport should be mentioned. For long years it was a rock-like stronghold, a separate state within the state. Today we have a transparent railway undertaking with separated passenger and freight transportation activities.
EU membership has opened new perspectives for road carriers enabling them to operate in a free international freight transport market. They were given a possibility of free crossing the borders of the European Union thus enabling to reduce the time of delivery significantly.
After liberalisation of the air transport market the competition in Lithuanian market of air services has increased. In the single EU market the activities were started and successfully developed by Lithuanian air companies, also foreign carriers have successfully found their niche in Lithuania. Passenger flows in all airports of Lithuania grew almost by 50% in the year 2004.
Railway infrastructure rehabilitation works enabled to increase the speed of passenger trains from 100 to 120 km per hour and freight trains - from 80 to 90 km per hour on the main lines. The increased speed and the planned renewal of passenger trains' rolling stock will give opportunities to make passenger railway transport more attractive and efficient.

Another important challenge is participation in the process of development of EU legal acts, necessity of protection of our interests and their coordination with the interests of other Member States. Also we have to ensure the control of implementation and enforcement of EU legislation.
Speaking about transit business it is necessary to stress that Lithuania always played a role of mediator between the East and the West. After joining the EU this role is even of more importance and value. We welcome the EU policy on good neighbourhood, we are taking active part in the process started by the European Commission on "Transport for Wider Europe". We feel that our experience and knowledge could be of use here.
Absorption of EU financial support is another most demanding and important challenge. The EU membership gave new, more powerful opportunities for transport infrastructure development by benefiting from the EU financial support. Through the EU Cohesion and Structural Funds Lithuania will receive every year by 5 times larger financial support than before the EU membership. During the period of three years Lithuanian transport sector is planning to receive about 430 mln. EUR from the EU Funds. Only from the Structural Funds the projects for almost 136 mln. EUR are already approved financing. There has also been already approved the decision on project financing from the Cohesion Fund, the total value of which reaches almost 200 mln. EUR. It is very important that the Regional Development Fund should allow us investing in the local significance transport infrastructure, what will play an important role in facilitation of trade and in solving of different social problems and promote regional development.
Together with the first achievements the first difficulties arise as well. There should be mentioned some problems that were encountered by us in the initial period of our membership in the European Union.
Road carriers were the first to meet the advantages as well as the problems of the new period. The inability of small size transport enterprises to implement financial and staff qualification requirements presented two possibilities: either for joining major companies, or resigning of the business. A certain part of enterprises (carriers), that could not react quickly to the changed situation and reform their management, were not able to withstand the flows of carriers from other EU countries. Thus the increased expenditure rates and total transportation costs caused bankruptcies of such enterprises. Therefore, the removal of quotas of permits had a double effect - free market was opened, but at the same time certain guarantees were closed, and the aspect 'if there is permit - there will be freight as well' did not work any more.
Prospective liberalisation of freight services in the whole EU railway network raises certain concern for us as well. In principle Lithuania supports the opening of railway market, however the unique geopolitical position of Lithuania and the Russian transit to the Kaliningrad district should be taken into consideration. Full liberalisation of services in this direction may cause that freight transportation from the State monopoly may become a private monopoly.
Speaking of transit, certain other aspects should be mentioned, that are caused by the fact that Lithuania is situated between the two territories of one non-EU member state country. This fact causes the introduction of stricter measures of veterinary and phyto-sanitary control in transportation of transit goods by rail and the increase of fees for this procedure. Due to these additional procedures the congestions of railway wagons in railway stations occur, and railway enterprises suffer losses caused by idle time. Therefore a particular attention should be paid to the settling of this issue.
One of the problems causing the biggest concern in Lithuania still remains the road traffic safety. Every year in Lithuania, about 6 thousand traffic accidents with casualties are registered. There are even more road traffic incidents where suffer vehicles, of transport infrastructure, and environment. The damage for the economy is equivalent to 3% of GDP. The increase in the number of cars and the volume of traffic is one of the causes of the growing road safety problems in the country. The casualty rate compared with one of the best performing countries is high with a fatality rate of about 20.3 for 100 000 inhabitants (compared with approximately 6.7 for Sweden). It should be stressed that the statistic data of the recent years' analysis show that the most traffic accidents (about 87%) in Lithuania happen due to the human behaviour factor. To reduce the number of the fatal accidences, to protect road users and to create effective road safety system in Lithuania - these are important challenges of the transport issue. Having summed up the situation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications prepared the State Road Traffic Safety Programme up to 2010, in which a number of measures for improvement of the situation are planned. It is planned to implement various advanced technologies in the nearest future, whereas the traffic safety should be perfected by efficient and practically proved measures. One of such measures - implementation of automatic speed measuring devices on the main and other roads. The successful practice of the West European countries in reducing the rate of casualties on roads (particularly in France) gives conviction that in the Baltic States it would be reasonable to implement the automatic speed limitation devices. This would enable to develop an efficient model of speed control in the three Baltic States, to organise a common exchange of data on violation of speed limitation.
First year of our membership in the European Union is approaching to its end. The year has brought us many novelties, and challenges. However I can state that the membership opened for us great perspectives and opportunities of active development of our transport system, so that it would become modern, comfortable and attractive for our people and would enable free movement of goods and persons in the European Union and beyond its boundaries.
 

CONSTRUCTION EXHIBITION RESTA: WHAT'S NEW AT THE FRONT OF IDEAS?

Julius LAICONAS, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment

As soon as trees come into the first spring blossom, LITEXPO Exhibition Centre welcomes to the largest in the Baltic countries traditional international exhibition on construction and renovation Resta. Over 550 participants are expected in LITEXPO on 22-25 March. The exhibition will occupy the largest, as compared to other exhibitions, area covering over 31.5 thousand square meters. More than 70 foreign companies will participate in Resta 2005.

The specialised exhibition on construction and renovation Resta is the best place to learn more about one of the most important economic sectors - construction. It will make you feel living in a dynamic and ever-changing world and these changes are in fact large and important. Lithuania, in becoming an EU Member State, has joined the community of economic giants of the world, other players of the European Union market with over 500 million consumers. One of the major EU goals is creating the efficient internal market and strengthening the competitiveness on the world scale. Lithuania has assumed new commitments, challenges and possibilities. The consolidated efforts of the Government, other state bodies and businesses have resulted in presenting Lithuania as the Baltic Tiger.
The last years have been very successful to Lithuania builders. Construction and real estate development companies have made large investment into constructions and introduction of new technologies. According to provisional data of Statistics Lithuania, 2936 new dwelling houses were built in 2004 what was by 849 buildings more compared to 2002. 6804 dwellings were arranged in these houses with the total living area of 699.1 thousand square meters this being an increase by 44.6 per cent compared to 2002 (483.6 thousand square meters). 2350 non-residential buildings covering an area of 1.2 million square meters were constructed in Lithuania in 2004. By the general area indicator, industrial and storage buildings covered the largest area of 370 thousand square meters (31 per cent), commercial, catering companies, hotels - 359 thousand square meters (30 per cent). 4001 permit for construction of 4155 dwelling houses was issued within a year what was by 1142 permits more than in 2003, and 1363 permits for construction of 1573 non-residential buildings were given out. In 2004, works carried out by construction companies on their own grew by 7.7 per cent compared to 2002. The largest volumes of construction and renovation works were recorded in Vilnius (30 per cent), Kaunas (17 per cent), Klaipëda (14 per cent) counties, and the smallest - in Tauragë County.

EU membership brings changes and new possibilities

The EU accession will open new possibilities for the construction market and related types of business. The growing economy will stimulate the demand for production and business, logistics, public, culture, sports and residential buildings. The oncoming support of EU structural funds will also contribute to the development of constructions. This year, two and a half billion of public capital investment will arrive to the Lithuanian economy what will be by 400 million litas more against last year. Within the coming two years, financing of environmental projects should grow three times and reach 796 million litas in 2006 and over billion litas in 2007. 883.9 and 784.5 million litas are planned for transport and communication sectors, respectively.

Greater attention to renovation of multi-apartment buildings

Last year, the Lithuanian Government approved the Lithuanian Housing Strategy that provides for renovation and modernization of all dwellings by 2020. Two-thirds of Lithuanian population reside in multi-apartment buildings constructed before 1990. Compared to the EU countries of the same climatic zone, energy consumption for heating is larger by 1.8 times in Lithuania. Many of the multi-apartment buildings are old, do not meet hygiene norms and growing demands of their residents. Around 27-34 billion litas is needed for complete renovation of multi-apartment buildings and arranging the environment. It is pleasing that local governments have started demonstrating greater attention to renovation of these buildings. Vilnius City Municipality has prepared a special programme Let's renovate dwellings and we will renovate the city. Vilnius City Municipality has laid efforts and secured the support of Energy Efficiency Programme Fund for renovation of multi-apartment buildings. The fund has over 8 million litas donated by the World Bank and Vilnius City Municipality, of which 2-4 million litas will be given for renovation of eight multi-apartment buildings this year. The loans are to be granted only to home owners' associations. It is calculated that renovation of a house with 50-60 dwellings will ask for nearly 500 thousand litas, one family averagely spending over 8 thousand litas. The state support will reach only socially-supported people who will receive preferential credits for dwelling renovation. Energy consumption in renovated houses is less by one third and the price of flats goes up by one fifth.

World Bank assesses Lithuania's efforts

Efficient economy, healthy environment and flourishing community are the long-term Lithuanian development guidelines until 2020 that have been set in the National Sustainable Development Strategy approved by the Lithuanian Government in 2003. It is envisaged to integrate the provisions of the Sustainable Development Strategy into the branch and regional development programmes and actions plans with the view to enhancing the ecological efficiency of production (reduction of consumption of resources and environment pollution per production unit). The construction sector will be challenged by many tasks to be completed in getting ready for celebrating Lithuania's Millennium in 2009. In 2011, Lithuania, after a break of almost hundred years, will host the European Basketball Championship that will need new, complex construction buildings. We are happy that the Siemens arena and the multi-functional centre Europa have already received high international recognition. The World Bank has positively evaluated activities of Lithuanian institutions in improving the investment climate in the country.
The international construction and renovation exhibition Resta by many visitors is seen as a shop where they can learn new ideas on how to renovate a house, reduce energy consumption and at the same time enjoying life quality and comfort. A consultation centre will be open during the exhibition, also seminars-discussions "Management of building protection from noise", "CE labelling advantages, experience and problems", "Fire classification of building products", "Multi-apartment buildings modernization programme", "Windows. Expectations and qualities. Possibilities and problems", "Technical certificates: good possibility for evaluation of new products", "Sorption qualities of thermo-insulating materials", etc. will be organized.

"THE FATE BRING UNEXPECTED GIFST," SAYS THE GRAPHIC ARTIST NIJOLE SALTENYTE

"Ex-libris were my forts works. Later, I started creating flax carvings. Even later, when I was experienced enough to speak more complex things in existence I started using dark grey tones and halftones... Today, I use mixed technique in newly emerging themes..."

Exhibitions of Nijole Saltenyte bear a twofold character. The artist has arranged twenty personal exhibitions in Lithuania, USA, Japan, Austria, France and some other countries. She has been pleasantly surprised by an invitation to arrange an exhibition in the native town of Kalvarija. "In organizing an exhibition, I must select works bearing one idea, one theme. They should go in harmony and "speak' to each other," the artists speaks about peculiarities in organizing an exhibition.
Nijolë Ðaltenytë is the organizer of exhibitions of small graphics ten years. These exhibitions invite 150 artists from different countries. The graphic artists is convinced that organization of an exhibition develops the skills of a manager.

J. Matulaièio Square 7-8, Vilnius
Tel.: (8~5) 238 84 19
Mobile: (8~686) 37054

MISTAKES IN TAX CALCULATION MAY BE EASILY CORRECTED

Davis ZABULIONIS, Deputy Head of State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance

The Law on Tax Administration that came into effect last year introduces new tax administration procedure - tax investigation. The tax investigation is used to show taxpayers what mistakes they have made and give them a chance to correct them. In such a way, it is attempted to solve taxpayers' problems, avoid fines, penalties, long and tiresome tax disputes or even more severe punishments that would become inevitable after conducting tax inspection.

The new measure - tax investigation - has been included into the Law on Tax Administration on the basis of the functioning tax administration practise. The first step was measures taken against paying salaries in "envelopes", when a tax administrator firstly suggested legalising the paid salary and only then conducted inspections in companies that did not correct self-evident mistakes.
New circumstances like supervision units functioning in tax inspectorates and rich information about taxpayers stored in databases also helped in legalizing tax investigation. The tax inspectorate has access to databases of other institutions and uses advanced economic analysis methods what opens new possibilities for efficient analysis of taxpayer's activities without even visiting a company.

Tax investigation - a new instrument for cooperation

Tax investigation is monitoring and analysis of taxpayer's activities when it is established whether a tax inspection should be carried out or not. The new measure used in tax administration signifies that the State Tax Inspectorate strives for partnership and equal cooperation with taxpayers.
Analysis is performed in all cases when data presented by a taxpayer and found in the tax inspectorate does not coincide. Special attention is to be paid to analysis of data about taxpayers, valuation of the risk for possible infringements and selection of taxpayers to undergo inspection, also analysis of VAT declarations and reports on export of goods to other EU Member States (identification of data conformity), selection of requests to return or compute tax overpayment (difference).
This analysis will be conducted without any additional commission. The official in charge has a right to use all available information sources, collect additional data from other taxpayers, state bodies and institutions, refer to information presented by the taxpayer during the visits, explanations or received from additional documents.
A tax inspector may visit a taxpayer to carry out the analysis and control of its activities. The visit of an official may be also performed when the tax inspectorate is planning to enter or remove a taxpayer into/from the VAT payers register, control activities of registered VAT payers, also when return (computation) of tax overpayment (difference) must be checked and in other cases when functions of a tax administrator must be implemented.
An official visiting a company has the right to get all copies of documents, extracts, explanations about property, sources of its acquisition, income and expenditure.

If shortcomings are eliminated, no fines are imposed

An official who is carrying a tax investigation firstly informs, in written or by telephone, a taxpayer about ascertained shortcomings and suggests several methods for their elimination. In those cases, when a taxpayer disregards the suggestions of a tax administrator, it gets a written notice of the prescribed form. The shortcomings must be eliminated within 10 days.
If a taxpayer eliminates all shortcomings within the set period and using the prescribed methods, no administrative measures, like tax inspection, fines are used. There actually remains the only punishment - if taxes are not paid in due course, penalties may be calculated for the delayed period following regulations of the Law on Tax Administration.
In case shortcomings established during tax investigation are not eliminated, a tax administrator has a right to conduct tax inspection and take any other actions envisaged by the law.
The State Tax Inspectorate in striving for partnership and equal cooperation with taxpayers widely uses the new tax investigation instrument in tax administration.

INTEGRATION OF STANDARDS

Osvaldas STAUGAITIS, Director of State Metrology Service

Sometimes we, people working in the field of metrology, ask ourselves - what has changed in our work and projects after Lithuania' accession into the European Union? A deeper look shows these changes to be not great and numerous what is absolutely natural and logical. For many years, State Metrology Service has worked hard with foreign metrology bodies on recognition of measurements carried out in Lithuania in foreign countries. Our major goal today is the development of the national metrology system based on the experience of the EU Member States, ensuring the metrological traceability of measurements in Lithuania, looking after that all standards would have traceability with analogous standards in other countries, and proper transfer of the meaning of the measurement unit by all measurement devices. The measurement traceability in Lithuania is the same as in any other EU Member State and measurements carried out in Lithuania are absolutely reliable. In his relation, we seek collaboration of national metrology bodies and proper technical competence, including the best variables, pertaining to the industry needs and making influence on EU decisions in the field of metrology. These goals fully meet regulations of the Multinational agreement on recognition of national measurement standards, calibration and measuring certificates issued by national metrology bodies that Lithuania signed with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIMP) in 2001.

Concrete programme regulations

Integration processes are speeded up by the special programme for metrological validation of measurement instruments. The programme aims that measurement instruments used in Lithuania would meet the requirements of international and EU documents. This activity is related with certification of measurement traceability in Lithuania, what in its turn should enhance the development of business and trade, recognition of measurements carried out in Lithuania in foreign countries. The programme guarantees that measuring instruments used in Lithuania are tested and undergo metrological inspection using the same methods, measures and normative documents as in the EU countries.
In further realization of our strategic goals, we will continue the implementation of the programme on creation of national standards of measurement units. Three PHARE projects are implemented on length, weight and temperature; the system of chemical measurements is created and the short-term project on control of the amount of packed products is realized; administrative and technical capacities in the field of metrology are strengthened. The created national standards will be used to realize our commitments assumed under the Metro Convention and EU legal acts, ensuring international and national metrological traceability and carrying out attribution of standard measurement units value to economic standards and working measurement instruments.
In realizing the EU membership commitments, we will create more favourable economic conditions for companies, institutions and other economic entities for business development, strive for reduction of state interference as regards the use of measurement instruments and enhancing the responsibility of the manufacturer. The Lithuanian infrastructure of metrology will be created and developed following the regulations of the new directive of measurement instruments. The implementation of the directive will help to unify the procedure for preparation and use of metrology legal acts and normative documentation in all EU Member States.
No less attention will be directed to the EU PHARE single financing programme. Wishing to efficiently use the EU aid, we must timely receive the co-financing of the state budget. It is rather expedient to administer PHARE single financing aid and funds of institutional development instruments of the transitional period under individual programmes and Public Investment Programme that should be prepared as separate investment projects. Thus we will avoid such cases as the lack of state budget funding for projects financed from abroad, or when due to objective reasons the financing is not used and is moved to the next year. This is very important in making settlements with the suppliers.
Metrology projects in Lithuania are being implemented strictly following the aforementioned programme provisions.

Metrology and chemistry

Why should chemistry metrology be singled out from other fields of metrology? Chemistry metrology is very specific. We are used of dealing with physical standards - weight, length and other SI system units. For a long time, chemical measurements were lacking the due attention. The reason was the specific position of these measurements. It was also the case that the reliability of laboratory analysis in Lithuania caused certain doubts. And if the measuring result is not reliable, we may say that the measuring has not been performed at all. Chemical measurements are closely related with our everyday life - food, drinking water, soil, air, etc. and any unreliable results cause serious doubts within the society. Information presented to the governmental institutions, industry and society about air pollution, public health, work and living conditions may be not only inaccurate, but also misleading. The present situation in the field of chemical measurements is very unfavourable for production, trade, services sector, the national economy and life quality in general.
The process of carrying out physical measurements is based on the clear hierarchical scheme, when the value of a measurement unit is passed by the continuous chain of comparisons from the higher standard up to the lower standard, and then to the measurement instrument. The situation is different in carrying out chemical measurements. Here we use basic materials values of which are used for calibration of instruments, valuation of the measurement method and giving values to materials. Wishing the process to be qualitative, laboratories carrying out chemical measurements must regularly participate in international and Lithuanian comparative testings of measurement results.
So far, Lithuania has not created a system and has no efficient coordination of these works.
Following the resolution of the Lithuanian Government, a state laboratory has been established in the Institute of Semiconductors Physics tasked to create and maintain standard measuring methods and instruments in chemical metrology. This has been one of the major steps in the creation of the common metrology system in chemistry. There are plans to establish state laboratories working in the fields of environment protection, food and veterinary, health care.
Actually, we already observe the first positive developments in the chemical measuring, alas they are too slow and fragmentary.
In many countries, metrology in chemistry holds the same position as in Lithuania, this being characteristic also to EU countries. So far, these very specific processes have not been regulated by any documents.
In 2005, the draft of the Strategic Chemistry Metrology Development Plan will be prepared in cooperation with German specialists.
We may expect better results and stronger positions on the international scale only if we have a perfectly functioning system and more laboratories participating in comparative testings.

PERPETUATION OF HISTORIC EVENTS IN THE WORKS OF JUOZAPAS KESTUTIS PATAMSIS

Juozapas Kestutis PATAMSIS, a sculptor-monumentalist, graduated from Vilnius Arts Institute (today Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts) in 1967. His first works were high relief, memorial boards, sculptures, decorative monuments and sculpture compositions winning numerous awards during different competitions.
Juozapas Kæstutis Patamsis is the famous Lithuanian sculptor-monumentalist, since 1991, a member of Lithuanian Artists' Association. He is the winner of the National Award, has created many original monumental works to immortalize histories events of Lithuania and other states. It's a pity that a part of his monumental sculpture did not receive evaluation and were not placed in the initially planned places.

Kastonu St. 2/14-26, LT-01107 Vilnius
Mobile: (370 680) 108 35

Jazz Spring in Kaunas

On April 21 - May 1, Kaunas will host the 15th jubilee international jazz festival Kaunas Jazz. The artistic director of the festival Jonas Juèas promises the festival to be the huge event for the city and its environs. The festival historically coinciding with the 15 anniversary of Lithuania's Independence and being the largest jazz festival in Eastern Europe symbolizes the spirit of Freedom, propagates the values of democracy, spontaneous creation and barriers-free communication. The powerful and vital jazz flow will penetrate even the remotest spheres of the city life eliminating any occurrences of alienation and enmity, removing the differences between the old and the young, breaking the stereotyped thinking, giving wonderful moments to thousands of human hearts.
How did everything start and why in Kaunas? Jonas Juèas speaks about the history of the festival dating to 1991.

"The beginning was very difficult, like the first steps of the state that had just restored Independence. I remember very well the economic blockade, when we used the reserve petrol to fill nearly empty tanks of busses carrying musicians to the concerts. We strongly felt the pulse of reviving Lithuania and heard its repercussions in jazz rhythms and tunes. Kaunas has always been the cradle of Lithuanian spirit and cherished independence. It is rather symbolic that Kaunas has become the city of Music of Freedom - jazz. It has become a nice tradition that going hand in hand with Lithuania's Independence, the festival has turned into the symbol of democracy and public spirit. Each festival is dedicated to the most important events and anniversaries of Lithuania and Kaunas City. In 1998, the festival was devoted to 80th anniversary of Independence and 8th anniversary of restoration of Independence, in 2002 - to 10th anniversary of restoration of Lithuania's Independence, in 2003 - accession to the European Union, in 2004 - joining the NATO Alliance. The jazz music unites. Thinking about better perspectives for the development of Kaunas City, the organizers of the festival were the first to speak about the idea of Vilnius-Kaunas dipole when moving some events of the festival to Vilnius. Jazz has become a progressive idea as opposition to non-perspective ambitions of the capital city and province, and the county. This was how the programme headings were born "Kaunas Jazz concert of the year", On listeners' request". By its popularity, the festival has already become a business card of Kaunas known throughout the world. I find it very pleasant to see a musician wearing T-shirt or cap with symbols of the Kaunas Jazz Festival in a New York jazz club. This proves the international status of our festival. The festival is the member of the European Jazz Network Association. The growing number of festival participants and guests, participation of the most famous world jazz stars prove that our work was not in vain. This also inspires for further developments and seek for higher standards. The festival conception has been expanded by the cycle of concerts "Kaunas jazz autumn". We think that in the future it will become a mini festival with the traditional concert, jazz session and other attributes of the festival. So we will try to make the festival to last all year round.
Constantly improving the conception of the festival throughout all 15 years, we have developed its peculiar stylistics, original traditions, search of new jazz spaces, integration of jazz into other spheres of culture, arts and social life. We attach great attention to the educational and social mission of the festival. With this aim in view, this year we are planning to arrange the first scientific conference about jazz. We wish to even deeper analyze the ontology of unique jazz music and plan further jazz music development tendencies. It will be an attempt to unfold new aspects in jazz culture in the context of national and global cultural treasury. The conference will introduce to the e-jazz project E@jazzz.lt, dedicated to making ultra new jazz tendencies more popular.
The festival will traditionally be famous for its philanthropic spirit. Jazz, design and dance projects help to collect money to be given to low-income families. Seeking to teach children love music and educate their artistic capacities, we will traditionally arrange the exhibition-competition of painting on the streets "Children paint jazz". I am very happy that the business community greatly contributes to the successful organization of the festival. We work together with Vilnius bank, Concern SBA, Kraft-Foods and other sponsors. I am also very pleased that the businessmen not only seek for presentation and advertising of their production but also have the goal of investing into the market of culture. Beer is known as the traditional drink of jazz, also Lithuanian beer manufacturers will show and sell their production during the festival.

We will further strive to be the leaders in "import" of jazz stars to Lithuania, maintain the stylistic diversity of jazz music, look for new contacts with other art and music branches, give floor to the most promising jazz performers and new talents. In remaining democratic and popular, we will strive to make concerts affordable to the wide and diverse auditoria. We arrange outdoor concerts in the most popular places, look for chamber and sacral spaces for thematic and specialized jazz projects, apply discounts to tickets making jazz available not only to the rich people but also all jazz lovers. Being democratic and open-minded, we do not forget the elite jazz lovers with sophisticated taste and jazz specialists. We have prepared a very rich and interesting programme inviting such stars as Coco Mbassi and Band from Cameroon and Great Britain, Joshua Redman from the USA, Philip Hamilton with Greg Osby, group PERCADU from Israel, Marilyn Mazur from Denmark, Nils Landren from Sweden, etc. Lithuania will be represented by Jan Maksimovich and Èiurlionis quartet, Kaunas Bigband, Saulës Klioðas, bigband of Jazz Department of LMTA, Serge Groove and other famous or not so well known to jazz lovers. 150 journalists will be accredited for the festival.
We are vrey happy to give Kaunas the wonderful jazz festival and invite everybody to come to the jubilee concerts.

Public eneterprise „JJJAZZ"
KAUNAS JAZZ CLUB
Rotuðës Squear. 29
P. O. Box 856
LT - 44033, Kaunas
Tel./fax.: 370 37 750145
festival@kaunasjazz.lt
www.kaunasjazz.lt
 

BALTIJA COMFORTS, BALTIJA CURES...
Five-star Auska, three-star Zilvinas, two-star Vyturys, Rehabilitation centre and Youth Hostel heartily invite to regain forces or get treatment

Palanga, quiet and empty in winter, smells of nostalgic serenity characteristic only to resort towns as if missing the summer warmth, colours and the never-ending carnival of merriments and gaiety. However, the stillness in Palanga is deceptive.
In last years, the capital of Lithuanian resorts Palanga changed only its looks, but also the life-style and philosophy. Formerly known as a pure resort town, Palanga has become a centre of wellness, recreation, entertainments and treatment. The resorts has learned to be needed all year round, fascinating and causing intrigue - the only of such type at the Lithuanian seaside.

"Baltija Holiday Home offers top quality services, keeps to hundred-year-old traditions and easily outrivals the competitors," says Director of the Baltija Holiday Home Jonas JUCHNEVIÈIUS.
The director who is heading one of numerous rest centres in Palanga for over forty years strongly believes in even brighter and more attractive future of this resort town.
Director of Baltija Holiday Home Jonas Juchnevièius has gladly agreed to share his ideas about his every-day works, the staff and management of the huge complex of rest homes.
A journalist Juozas GIRDVAINIS visited this cosy holiday centre in the heart of Palanga in April and talked to its director about the oncoming summer season.

Wonderful Baltija invites

- How does Baltija meet the new season? Is it popular among holiday-makers?
- Hotels, cafes and restaurants open in late autumn and winter invite romantic holiday-makers to have a cup of coffee or spend an evening in the company of a wine glass. The early rays of this-year sun already attract to have a rest or undergo treatment in ever fascinating and unique Palanga.
There are very few people in Lithuania who, having visited Palanaga, have not stayed or heard about the Baltija Holiday Home. This year, several hundreds of Lithuanians and foreign guests have already spent their vacation or at least a weekend in our centre. Even over 30 thousand Lithuanian and foreign residents have received treatment in Baltija since 1992.
- What kind of complex is the Baltija Holiday Home today? To my opinion, it differs from the soviet times in being affordable and available to everybody, also in offering wonderful wellness and recreation services and inviting atmosphere.
- Baltija is the largest in Palanaga rest and wellness complex consisting of the famous Auska (former L. Brezhnev Villa), Þilvinas and Vyturys hotels, Youth Hostel and Rehabilitation Centre. 505 people may get rest or undergo treatment in 224 rooms of the Baltija complex at one time.
- Who are your guests? Will one receive a room in Baltija if he is not a German, Polish or Russian tourist, or a rich businessman but an ordinary Lithuanian looking for cosy and calm rest?
- Baltija may accommodate everybody offering all types of rooms and the whole range of services. People enjoying luxury are invited to Auska, families or people wishing to spend their time with relatives or friends may stay in Þilvinas, average and lower income holiday-makers are welcome in Vyturys. The Youth Hostel is open for young people who spend the money for amusements and look only for a night-stay. All year round, the Rehabilitation Centre offers treatment services and in the low season our guests may have restorative, relaxation and slimming, on weekends - wellness programmes. We welcome everybody who feels tired and rundown.

A happy client is the best promotion

The five-star hotel Auska may accommodate 22 persons at one time, has two conference halls for 80 people.
Three-star Þilvinas may receive 130 holiday-makers. The hotel has 41 suit, five conference halls and offers all conditions for arranging conferences, seminars and trainings.
Two-star Vyturys has over 90 places in cosy and sunny singles, doubles, triples and suits. There are five conference halls in the hotel.
The Rehabilitation Centre may accommodate 190 people at one time, offers good services, catering and living conditions. The centre receives many warm words from its guests, sometimes even put in a poem. A pleased clients is the best word of thanks.
There were some cases when a guest was not satisfied with an old bed, probably it was pretermission and we immediately changed it.
Baltija Holiday Home welcomes the new season not only with new beds but also renovated treatment rooms, spacious parking at Vyturys. Baltija stays loyal to its clients and says that each happy clients brings another ten.

Why people choose Baltija?

- Why does Baltija attract and even entrance a holiday maker?
- The staff of Baltija Holiday Home is ready to receive holiday-makers all year round with no special preparations made. The complex is open 24-hours a day with no holidays.
The guests are fascinated by top quality services and deep traditions what comes only through experience. The forty-year practise is the evident proof of high work standards. Experience accompanied with historic heritage makes us strong rivals to our competitors.
Buildings of the Baltija complex are situated in the best parts of Palanga. The Youth Centre is located right in the centre of the resort. Vyturys with the Rehabilitation Centre are close to the Botanical Garden and the central stadium. Buildings of the three-star Þilvinas hotel are scattered among pines just 80 meters to the Baltic Sea and within the hand-reach to Basanvièius Street and Botanical Garden. Five-star Auska is the pride of Baltija. You will not find a hotel in Palanga having direct access to the sea and surrounded by a closed forest territory covering 23 hectares.
Baltija Holiday Home has large-space bedrooms, work and rest room, anterooms and even has not saved on the area of bathrooms. You will find a bathroom of 6-8 square meters in each Þilvinas room. WCs in Auska suits have Velux-type windows. Some of the rooms offer a wonderful view to the sea and dunes; cars are not allowed closer than several hundred meters.

- When visiting your hotels, I noticed that all buildings differ by their architectural qualities. As far as I remember, they are the works of the best then architects...
- Today the land price is very high. Our hotels cover large areas, have spacious territories envied even by the most luxurious hotels although some buildings still pulsate in the passed times.
Baltija Holiday Home is greatly enjoyed by tourists of Poland, Germany, Russia and other neighbouring countries. They are allured by clean seaside weather, pinewoods and quietness. Foreign guests think it important to have good living conditions, pleasant services and diversity of services. There have been cases, when in summer-time we were not able to accommodate all wishing.

Grievance hardens

- Today, the Baltija Holiday Home is a flourishing company. Dear Jonas, could you please say some words about the past?
- Starting February 1991, Baltija had to learn to survive on heavily eared money expecting no support from governing bodies. The state enterprise was deprived of donations and priority was given to private capital and business. We found and still find it very difficult to compete with its rivals. Even after fourteen years, we still receive reproaches that we are a state enterprise and get the state aid.
Baltija takes hard such words but they are as if a stimulus to even more energetically start new works, learn from the experience of Lithuanian and foreign colleagues.

Open all-year-round

- Huge competition is felt in each corner of Palanga, and not only among private bars or hotels but also in the field of health care services.
- After the summer season is over, we start looking for future clients. We go to international exhibitions, business missions, also receive delegations of tourism agencies and journalists in our complex. April is the month when the first clients from all around Europe start gathering in Baltija.
- How is the qualification of the Baltija staff improved?
- We have always attached great attention to high quality of services. The staff of Baltija Holiday Home study at the continuous learning programme in Klaipëda University, under Leonardo da Vinci programme go on probation to hotels of Central and Western Europe, Nordic Countries. Before each season, we employ additional staff, prepare the rooms and look forward to regular and new guests.
So far we feel having not exhausted the whole potential in improving services and living conditions as not all clients find everything they need in our complex.
Baltija Holiday Home is ready to meet the new summer season. Let it start on time and continue longer than usual. The Baltija guests will always be offered top quality services and hospitality.


Baltija Holiday Home is situated in the best and the most luxurious places in Palanga. The Youth Hostel is right in the centre. Vyturys with the Rehabilitation Centre are close to to the Botanical Garden and the central stadium The three-star Þilvinas buildings are scattered amid pines just 80 meters to the Baltic Sea and within the hand-reach to Basanvièius Street and Botanical Garden. Five-star Auska is the pride of Baltija. You will not find a hotel in Palanga having direct access to the sea and surrounded by a closed forest territory covering 23 hectares.


Orders:
Baltija Holiday Home
Ganyklu St. 30, LT-00138 Palanga
Tel.: (370 460) 483 32, 491 84, fax: (370~460) 492 26
E-mail: pastas baltija@is.lt
www.baltijahotel.lt

Hotel Auska*****
Vytauto St. 11, LT-00101 Palanga
Tel.: (370~460) 490 84, fax: (370~460) 490 87
E-mail: auska@is.lt

Hotel Zilvinas***
Kæstuèio St. 26, LT-00135 Palanga
Tel.: (370~460) 491 46, fax: (370~460) 491 97
E-mail: zilvinas@is.lt


Hotel Vyturys**
S.Dariaus ir S.Gireno St. 20, LT-00129 Palanga
Tel.: (370~460) 491 47, fax: (370~460) 491 98
E-mail: vyturys@is.lt

Rehabilitation Centre
S.Dariaus ir S.Girëno St. 20, LT-00129 Palanga
Tel.: (370~460) 491 04, faks. (370~460) 491 98
E-mail: reabilitacijoscentras@is.lt

Youth Hostel
Ganyklu St. 30, LT-00138 Palanga
Tel.: (370~460) 483 32, 491 84, fax: (370~460) 492 26
E-mail: baltija@is.lt

THE SOURCES OF RATIONALITY

AB Alytaus gelzbetonis maintains strong positions on the market and generates impressive investment projects

Rimantas SLAJUS, journalist

"We receive orders for tiles from all over Lithuania - Vilnius, Kaunas, Jonava, even from the Ukraine and Sweden. We offer the clients wide range of colours and shapes, and of course our services," says Rimantas PAKERIS, Director General of AB Alytaus gelþbetonis. Although being an energetic man, he would not dare to walk all the paths or squares laid with tiles-production of his company. The company started manufacturing tiles ten years ago.

The first production line was put into operation in Þieþmariai, a small town situated on the Vilnius-Kaunas highway in 1994, when the Alytus company established a joint venture Presbetonas with its partners from Germany. The staff learned to operate modern equipment in Germany and after coming back perfectly controlled powerful vibro-presses and other complex equipment. At that time, the company established in Telðiai was the sole manufacturer of tiles in Lithuania. Rimantas Pakeris, an energetic man always full of ideas, born in the land of lakes Aukðtaitija, for some time made the capital of Dzûkija Alytus a Mecca of production of tiles and other concrete products.
Alas, not for too long. Today, other manufacturers supply Alytus with their tiles and concrete products. However, the ideologist and beginner of production of tiles should not rave against his fate or new sellers of building materials. His tiles greatly differ in price and quality, and are strong enough not to let water more than 2 per cent, otherwise they will crack in winter.
According to calculations made by Alytus company, tiles should serve about 200 cycles, or so to say winters. For instance in Spain, their time of service would last even longer, unless the temperamental Spaniards would worn them out during their wonderful fiestas. However, it would hardly happen as the colour is inserted even some centimetres. The dyes used for tile colouring are also very specific: red colour is made of ironstone, blue - from the copper oxide extracted deep from the sea. The surface of some tiles is made rough using special metal pellets. These could be used by clients looking for aesthetics or longing for the sense of natural stone.
The majority of our clients prefer flat-surface tiles and use them for decoration of homes, offices, saunas. They say after walking barefooted on such times, romantic feelings surge and the life becomes brighter. On the other hand, you may get the same feelings in a car, that is not necessarily new and luxurious, however feels like it on the tiles manufactured by Alytus company. The quiet wheeze of tires make you think about prestige and comfort. Once you wish to have such feelings, your road must be tiled with thicker tiles of 8 mm.
Tiles manufactured by AB Alytaus gelþbetonis are very popular and enjoy great demand, unless the Lithuanians who a mad about constructions today find new values.
On the other hand, when I and photographer Kæstutis went along Alytus streets we did not see a single new construction site.
"About 50 per cent of all constructions are concentrated in Vilnius. We joke that there is only one crane in Alytus," agrees the expert in construction dynamics Rimantas Pakeris. "However in a month or so, Alytus will also see large constructions of IKI supermarket, Vilniaus statyba, furniture manufacturers."
Alytaus gelþbetonis strongly believes that its services will be needed in new constructions. It is the only company in Lithuania manufacturing original reinforced-concrete slabs with the dimensions 12x3, has powerful cranes with the lifting capacity of 30 tones.
And now it is the right moment to disclose one more secret - in summer the company will launch one more, hopefully successful, project - manufacture of separating slabs with the dimensions 24x3. This building material should help Lithuanian companies to save time and funds.
Probably not only Lithuanian but also, for instance, Polish companies will buy the new production. Rimantas Pakeris says that already today no other company in Lithuania produces this type of buildings materials that are delivered to Ðiauliai as well as to Klaipëda. However, the delivery of concrete, grout and the like products is efficient no farther than 100 km.
AB Alytaus gelþbetonis also has plans to renew the production of prefabricated large-blocks for construction of dwelling houses. Director Rimantas Pakeris who once headed a large company manufacturing such blocks in Kaunas and is able to exactly pre-say the would-be demand says that this building material could be widely used in construction of individual houses. Today, lots of new-settlers have suffered from strangeness of modern construction, for instance hanging a picture may end in a huge hole in a wall, and this new product should be interesting and popular. So far the company has to solve one problem in manufacture of large-blocks - increasing the coefficient of thermal insulation.
Problems in insulation of residential houses could be solved by another investment project developed by Alytus company. The project has already been put into practise and the production should reach its first clients this summer. It is the construction of hangars. The specialists say that metal hangars could be successfully used for roofing multi-apartment buildings. Covered with polyhterene from the inside, the hangars could cover rest zones or playing grounds for children. The Alytus company has already bought special equipment for shaping the hangars. This production should cause the interest of businessmen looking for commercial areas and warehouses, also organizers of large sports events. The new hangars will cost two thirds less than the analogues made from bricks and would serve longer.

AB Alytaus gelþbetonis and its production

In 1964, the concrete unit, sawmill and the joiners' shop were merged into the amalgamation of production companies, that later was reorganized into the plant of reinforced-concrete structures. In 1994, the plant was restructured into AB Alytaus gelþbetonis. The company manufactures reinforced-concrete slabs, elements for thermal tracks, hods, rings, hatches, carcass structures, pavement tiles and blocks for basement walls. The production conforms to all quality requirements. Some years ago, the company launched the production of pressed blocks for fences, metal fences and gates, also tiles of 14 types, sides for grass-plots, pavement tiles. In the process of tile manufacture, the company uses colour pigments of UAB Betochem (80 colours). Manufacture of commercial concrete and grouts accounts for one third of the total production output. AB Alytaus gelþebetonis production ranges about 700 sorts. The company also has its own car fleet.

CONFORMITY CERTIFICATES ISSUED IN LITHUANIA ARE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT EUROPE

Irena Mikelioniene, Director of National Accreditation Bureau

Measure ten times and only then do...

The modern market - production and services - demands ever-growing quality. We all wish to have more efficient vacuum-cleaners, a warmer house or much healthier glass of juice. It seems that if a thirst for quality becomes an internal imperative, an everyday life norm for a manufacturer or service provider, we would save time and money, there will be no need to have quality inspecting or supervising bodies and organizations. The work of the National Accreditation Bureau would become much simpler.
However, not all Lithuanian market players would be able to satisfy the requirements raised to their production, exporting companies would still have to have costly conformity assessment procedures made in foreign countries. On the other hand, the factor of subjectivity cannot be eliminated from the production and services sector, when a man in the course of long work intentionally or not diverges from characteristics set by the product certificate.

Therefore, the National Accreditation Bureau not only carries out single-time accreditation but also performs supervision, re-accredits those bodies and laboratories that work in the field of supervision of quality of products manufactured and services provided in Lithuania. As of 1 January 2005, the National Accreditation Bureau has accredited 56 testing laboratories, 19 calibration laboratories, 6 certification bodies for products, 3 inspection bodies, one certification body for quality systems, one certification body for environmental management systems, one certification body for personal assessed 10 conformity certification bodies expecting to get notification.
Last year, six new testing laboratories were accredited to carry out mechanical and physical testing of toys, simple and complex fertilizers, food products and microbiological analysis of water, chemical analysis of surface water and wastewater. A new calibration laboratory was accredited to perform measurement of pressure, temperature, ionising radiation and electric quantities. Last year, the first in Lithuania body for certification of environmental management systems was accredited, followed by two inspection bodies to carry out control of lifting equipment, pressure vessels and other potentially dangerous equipment.
The competence of seven conformity assessment bodies (two certification bodies for products, two inspection bodies and three testing laboratories) was assessed. These bodies are expected to be notified to carry out conformity assessment procedures following the technical regulations adopting the directives of Personal protective equipment, Construction products, Lifts, Non-automatic weighing instruments, Medical devices. Hot water boilers. Gas appliances, Noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors.

Equal to institutions and bodies of highly-developed Western countries

A month ago, experts appointed by the secretariat of the Multilateral Recognition Agreements Committee of European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) carried out the routine inspection at the National Accreditation Bureau. They inspected whether the National Accreditation Bureau observes the requirements set by international standards for the signatories of the Multilateral Recognition Agreements in the field of testing and calibration laboratories and product certification. The experts also evaluated the preparedness of the Bureau to join the new sectors of the EA Multilateral Recognition Agreements: quality and environmental management systems, personal certification and inspection bodies.
Lithuania was honoured to host the 13th General Assembly of the European co-operation for Accreditation. This was the first such forum organized in the Baltic States and the new EU Member States. Organization of the EA General Assembly in Vilnius has proved the recognition of the Lithuanian accreditation system and demonstrated that the activities of the National Accreditation Bureau and accredited bodies equal to that of highly-developed Western states.
The National Accreditation Bureau joined EA in 1999, and in 2001 became the signatory of EA Multilateral Recognition Agreements in the field of testing and calibration laboratories and product certification. Since then, protocols and certificates issued by laboratories and certification bodies accredited by the Bureau are recognized on the international scale. The Bureau was the first among then associated EU states (preceded by the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and the first among Baltic States to gain such a status.
A good example could be that testing reports and certificates of conformity issued by laboratories and certification bodies accredited by the Bureau for radio and TV equipment, household appliances, IT equipment, medicine equipment, telecommunication equipment, building products, agricultural and forestry machinery are recognized in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and other states.