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"MMA increase to LTL 1,500 is in our long-term perspective plan. When average salary, let us say, reaches about LTL 3,000 (EUR 869), then we could talk about setting MMA of LTL 1,500 (EUR 434)," said the prime minister in an interview with radio Ziniu Radijas on Thursday.

Butkevicius drew attention to the fact that the current average salary in the country reaches LTL 2,305 (EUR 668), while in regions average salary varies, for example, in some regions it reaches only LTL 1,700 (EUR 492).

As reported, Lithuania's Parliament Speaker Loreta Grauziniene believes that it is realistic to raise MMA to LTL 1,500 (EUR 434) in a year.

Grauziniene said this after the meeting with Arturas Cerniauskas, Chairman of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation.

"It was discussed with representatives of trade unions that the Tripartite Council should begin discussions related to MMA increase to LTL 1,500 (EUR 434). In the nearest future, as the representatives of trade unions informed, they will raise this issue," said Grauziniene.

Meanwhile, trade unions support only the increase of LTL 200 (EUR 58) in MMA to LTL 1,200 (EUR 348) and only in those regions where the gap between minimum and average salaries is the largest one.

However, it is not planned to increase MMA in the draft budget which will be adopted by the Seimas on Thursday.