International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Sunday, 22.04.2018, 23:01
In 2017, general government budget deficit accounted for 0.5% GDP in Latvia
21.04.2018Provisional (1) results compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that, in 2017 general government budget deficit accounted for EUR 131.1 million or 0.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whereas consolidated gross debt amounted to EUR 10.8 billion or 40.1% of the GDP. Only Social security fund concluded last year with budget surplus, while expenditure in central and local governments exceeded revenues.
Keyword tags: Analytics, Budget, Financial Services, GDP, Latvia
President introduced Estonia's e-state to IMF chief
21.04.2018Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid introduced Estonia's e-state achievements at a meeting with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde on Friday in Washington, informs LETA/BNS.
Construction price index continued to rise moderately in Estonia in Q1
20.04.2018According to Statistics Estonia, the change of the construction price index in the 1st quarter of 2018 was 0.2% compared to the 4th quarter of 2017, and 1.8% compared to the 1st quarter of 2017.
The industrial producer prices in Estonia grew by 2.9% in March y-o-y
20.04.2018According to Statistics Estonia, in March 2018, the producer price index of industrial output changed by 0.2% compared to February and by 2.9% compared to March 2017.
Number of economically active companies in Estonia grows by 6% in 2017
20.04.2018There were 127,600 economically active companies in Estonia in 2017, about 6% more than the year before, informs LETA/BNS.
AHK: foreign investors critical of Latvia's tax reform, business environment in general
Foreign investors are on the whole satisfied with business environment in Latvia but in a number of investment criteria have given the country lower ratings compared to the previous year and are critical of Latvia's tax reform in particular, writes LETA, according to the annual survey carried out by the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (AHK).
20% Latvians reluctant to conduct financial transactions via smartphones
In Latvia, 20% of the population are reluctant to conduct financial transactions via their smartphones but the number of people willing to use their phones in financial transactions is growing, writes LETA, according to a survey by Swedbank Latvia.
Birth number still declining in Latvia in 2017
Provisional data of the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that since 2016 birth number in Latvia is reducing – in 2017 number of live births may be approximately one thousand smaller than in 2016. Number of newborn registered during the first three months of 2018 (4 612 children) also was smaller than that recorded in the same period of 2017– by 336 children.
Most Latvians expect housing prices to rise in near future
Most people in Latvia, or 54.6%, expect property prices to grow in the coming 12 months, which is the highest figure since 2009, when SEB launched its Housing Price Indicator, SEB Banka spokeswoman Jelena Kontusa told LETA, citing the latest SEB Housing Price Indicator.
Almost a half Estonian enterprises are innovative
According to Statistics Estonia, 47.7% of Estonian enterprises were innovative in 2016. Industrial enterprises are the most active innovators.
Latvian inflation rate was above EU average in March
In March 2018, Latvia saw higher inflation than the European Union and the eurozone on average, according to the latest inflation data on 27 member states released today by Eurostat, cites LETA.
IMF: Latvia to grow fastest of Baltic economies in 2018
Latvia is expected to register faster economic growth than its Baltic peers in 2018, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on April 17th, reports LETA/BNS.
Number of births in Lithuania may hit 60-year low in 2018
A researcher predicts that Lithuania in 2018 may record the lowest number of births in the past 60 years, the Delfi news website reported on April 17th, writes LETA/BNS.
Lithuanian economists, trade unions cautiously welcome tax reform plans
Lithuanian economists and trade union officials say that the government's planned tax and pension system reform unveiled on Monday will lead to a rise in wages, but will not help to drastically curb emigration, writes LETA/BNS.
Lithuania set to recover EUR 200 mln from shadow in 2019
Lithuania's government plans to recover 200 million euros from the shadow in 2019 in an effort to reduce the scope of shadow economy, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on April 16th, cites LETA/BNS.
“Knowing entrepreneurship”: challenges for the Baltics’ authorities 
