VILNIUS — Statistics from Lithuania’s central bank showing a 55.1 percent decline in foreign direct investment over the last year were released backing up the president’s criticism of the government that there is a dearth of FDI.

Though there have been some recent victories for [private_supervisor]Lithuania in FDI into the country, on the whole there has been a huge loss in investment, adding further woes to the unemployment situation. Grybauskaitė said that FDI from abroad would help stimulate the economy and make new jobs for people.

The statistics from the central bank show that between January-April 2010, FDI into Lithuania amounted to 741.6 million litai (€215 million), 55.1 percent lass than the same period of 2009.

Equally, Lithuania’s investment abroad dipped by 36.5 percent during the period.

In April however FDI into Lithuania spiked by 73 percent compared to March, signaling a brighter future.

Last week the Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys boasted about his government’s performance bringing in FDI. He revealed that the government was in negotiations with 66 different companies, 10 of which that were “serious.”

Part of the government’s strategy to increase investments is to reduce the green field minimum investment, which was previously set at 5 million litai.

In 2010, Barclays opened their IT center in Vilnius, which could eventually employ 1,000 people. Computer company IBM also signed a letter of intent to open a research facility in the country and money transfer company Western Union is set to open an operations center by autumn this year.

The three companies are bright spots on an otherwise depressing cross-section of the economy.

Presdient Dalia Grybauskaitė said that FDI would affect the decrease in unemployment in Lithuania, but said that to attract foreign capital into the country, a palpable reduction in red tape, corruption and the shadow economy would need to be seen.

The biggest investing countries into Lithuania are Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Germany in that order. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]Lithuania in FDI into the country, on the whole there has been a huge loss in investment, adding further woes to the unemployment situation. Grybauskaitė said that FDI from abroad would help stimulate the economy and make new jobs for people.

The statistics from the central bank show that between January-April 2010, FDI into Lithuania amounted to 741.6 million litai (€215 million), 55.1 percent lass than the same period of 2009.

Equally, Lithuania’s investment abroad dipped by 36.5 percent during the period.

In April however FDI into Lithuania spiked by 73 percent compared to March, signaling a brighter future.

Last week the Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys boasted about his government’s performance bringing in FDI. He revealed that the government was in negotiations with 66 different companies, 10 of which that were “serious.”

Part of the government’s strategy to increase investments is to reduce the green field minimum investment, which was previously set at 5 million litai.

In 2010, Barclays opened their IT center in Vilnius, which could eventually employ 1,000 people. Computer company IBM also signed a letter of intent to open a research facility in the country and money transfer company Western Union is set to open an operations center by autumn this year.

The three companies are bright spots on an otherwise depressing cross-section of the economy.

Presdient Dalia Grybauskaitė said that FDI would affect the decrease in unemployment in Lithuania, but said that to attract foreign capital into the country, a palpable reduction in red tape, corruption and the shadow economy would need to be seen.

The biggest investing countries into Lithuania are Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Germany in that order. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]Lithuania in FDI into the country, on the whole there has been a huge loss in investment, adding further woes to the unemployment situation. Grybauskaitė said that FDI from abroad would help stimulate the economy and make new jobs for people.

The statistics from the central bank show that between January-April 2010, FDI into Lithuania amounted to 741.6 million litai (€215 million), 55.1 percent lass than the same period of 2009.

Equally, Lithuania’s investment abroad dipped by 36.5 percent during the period.

In April however FDI into Lithuania spiked by 73 percent compared to March, signaling a brighter future.

Last week the Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys boasted about his government’s performance bringing in FDI. He revealed that the government was in negotiations with 66 different companies, 10 of which that were “serious.”

Part of the government’s strategy to increase investments is to reduce the green field minimum investment, which was previously set at 5 million litai.

In 2010, Barclays opened their IT center in Vilnius, which could eventually employ 1,000 people. Computer company IBM also signed a letter of intent to open a research facility in the country and money transfer company Western Union is set to open an operations center by autumn this year.

The three companies are bright spots on an otherwise depressing cross-section of the economy.

Presdient Dalia Grybauskaitė said that FDI would affect the decrease in unemployment in Lithuania, but said that to attract foreign capital into the country, a palpable reduction in red tape, corruption and the shadow economy would need to be seen.

The biggest investing countries into Lithuania are Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Germany in that order. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]Lithuania in FDI into the country, on the whole there has been a huge loss in investment, adding further woes to the unemployment situation. Grybauskaitė said that FDI from abroad would help stimulate the economy and make new jobs for people.

The statistics from the central bank show that between January-April 2010, FDI into Lithuania amounted to 741.6 million litai (€215 million), 55.1 percent lass than the same period of 2009.

Equally, Lithuania’s investment abroad dipped by 36.5 percent during the period.

In April however FDI into Lithuania spiked by 73 percent compared to March, signaling a brighter future.

Last week the Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys boasted about his government’s performance bringing in FDI. He revealed that the government was in negotiations with 66 different companies, 10 of which that were “serious.”

Part of the government’s strategy to increase investments is to reduce the green field minimum investment, which was previously set at 5 million litai.

In 2010, Barclays opened their IT center in Vilnius, which could eventually employ 1,000 people. Computer company IBM also signed a letter of intent to open a research facility in the country and money transfer company Western Union is set to open an operations center by autumn this year.

The three companies are bright spots on an otherwise depressing cross-section of the economy.

Presdient Dalia Grybauskaitė said that FDI would affect the decrease in unemployment in Lithuania, but said that to attract foreign capital into the country, a palpable reduction in red tape, corruption and the shadow economy would need to be seen.

The biggest investing countries into Lithuania are Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Germany in that order. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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