Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure LT-2021-10/1859 – measures in Lithuania
Country | Lithuania , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 05 March 2021 – 30 June 2021 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
Author | Rasa Mieziene, Inga Blaziene (Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences) |
Measure added | 13 April 2021 (updated 23 July 2021) |
On 5 March 2021, the procedure for allocation and administration of funds for the measure “Reimbursement of Marketplace Fee” (the Procedure), as approved by Resolution No 133 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, entered into force providing that natural persons trading in non-food outlets (marketplace traders) whose economic activities are included in the list of activities affected by COVID-19 may apply for marketplace fee reimbursement. The aim is to at least partially reduce losses incurred by self-employed marketplace traders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Procedure stipulates that all natural persons trading in non-food outlets whose economic activities are included in the list of activities affected by COVID-19, as approved by the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation and the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, may apply for compensation if they meet the criteria set by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
Market traders may apply for €300 in compensation. Applicants may be granted only one marketplace fee compensation irrespective of the number of outlets they lease now or will lease in the future.
To be eligible for the compensation, a person must have paid or committed to pay a marketplace fee for December 2020 and/or 2021 and planning to continue his/her activities in 2021. In addition, the person must have obtained a business certificate or registered certificated individual economic activities for a period from 1 September 2020 until 16 December 2020 and have filed an annual income tax return for 2019 (where applicable). To receive compensation, marketplace traders should submit applications to the State Tax Inspectorate (STI) by 1 June 2021. Applications may be closed earlier if the allocation of €2 million is distributed earlier. The compensations shall be granted until 30 June 2021 at the latest.
Such lump-sum compensations were also available for marketplace traders in 2020. The period for application submission was from 9 July 2020 to 16 September 2020.
According to the STI, from 5 March 2021 to 18 March 2021, compensations were paid to more than 2.6 thousand people. According to the Procedure, the amount allocated from the state budget for the compensations during the mentioned period is €2 million.
During the previous period (from 9 July to 2 September 2020), a total of about 7,000 marketplace traders applied for support (support was granted to 5,500 applicants; the rest did not meet the requirements).
About 6,700 Lithuanian residents have already been granted marketplace fee compensations by May 2021. A total of €2 million was distributed to marketplace traders in 2021.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Self-employed
|
Solo-self-employed
|
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Social partners jointly Public support service providers |
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Consulted | Consulted |
Form | Direct consultation outside a formal body | Direct consultation outside a formal body |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Social partners consulted only ad hoc, the tripartite meeting was not held.
According to the President of the Association of Market Places and Outlets (AMPO), such support is too low for marketplace traders to cover their costs, as one market outlet costs on average €155 per month. In addition, the application procedure is complex and involves many excessive requirements.
Trade unions have not expressed their views on this issue.
This case is sector-specific (only private sector)
Economic area | Sector (NACE level 2) |
---|---|
G - Wholesale And Retail Trade; Repair Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles | G47 Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
This case is occupation-specific
Occupation (ISCO level 2) |
---|
Street and related sales and service workers |
Citation
Eurofound (2021), Reimbursement of marketplace fees, measure LT-2021-10/1859 (measures in Lithuania), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/LT-2021-10_1859.html
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