- January 1, 2015
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Half an hour after midnight, under the roar of fireworks in the major metropolitan Gediminas avenue Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius pulled from an ATM banknote denominations of 10 euros.
This is a traditional ceremony for the eurozone countries, meaning the country’s accession to the European single currency.
January 1, 2015 Lithuania officially became the 19th member of the euro zone.
“symbol Vitis litas, knight in armor, sword, becoming a symbol of the euro family. We are witnessing a historic event, “- said the prime audience of several hundred citizens who traditionally celebrate the New Year in the Cathedral Square in Vilnius.
In celebration of the accession of Lithuania the euro came as Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Rõivas, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich, European Commissioner for Health Vytenis Andriukaitis.
According to the head of the Estonian government, local entrepreneurs have been waiting a very Lithuania’s accession to the euro. “Estonians are willing to invest. The euro will bring Lithuania new jobs, higher salaries, the economy only benefit from this,” – said Taavi Rõivas at a briefing after the ceremony.
Pros and Cons Euro
“We are not afraid to part with our national currency – the cast as accept euros as a challenge. A few litas we leave in your pocket for memory”, – told the BBC Russian Service, two young girls in bright holiday wigs Gediminas avenue.
“It seems to me that with the change of currency does not change, only the numbers. But people with small incomes will be harder,” – shared his thoughts student Rimvydas.
“We’re a small country, so you need to adapt to those who are stronger. I do not think that with the advent of the euro will become harder to live, rather the opposite, “- said Specialist Algirdas, who now headed celebrate the New Year at the Cathedral Square.
Opinion polls show that the majority of Lithuanians support the eurozone. Number eurooptimists in the country rose from April last year from 41% to 63%.
In the last days of last year, Lithuanian residents rushed to the banks to change the litas to the euro, although the central bank warned people not to crowd in currency exchange offices, because the free exchange litas to the euro will be in the banks for six months, and in the branches of the Central Bank – unlimited time.
“Well, if the residents like to crowd in line, we can not prohibit, but it is absolutely unnecessary, “- said on this occasion a member of the Central Bank of Lithuania is responsible for informing the public, Marius Yurgilas.
Prices have not risen?
So far not confirmed concerns of ordinary people about the growth of prices. Department of Statistics data show that at the end of the year, inflation in the country amounted to 0,4%.
According to the head of the department to analyze the price of Hope Aleeva, for example, in November of this year rose by a few percent certain products and services (tea, coffee, tobacco), increased the prices in restaurants and cafes, but this appreciation does not have much impact on the annual inflation rate.
“We are still analyzing the data for December, but first we can say that the introduction of the euro will not have any impact on the annual rate of inflation,” – said the representative bbcrussian.com Department of Statistics.
According to Aleeva, the euro is likely to have used the representatives of the service sector – the owners of bars, service stations, cafes and restaurants. They have a rounded mid-summer prices, describing them in two currencies, and thus to 3-6 percent of them raised.
Since the middle of last year to July 1, 2015 all prices in Lithuania are specified in two currencies.
Prior to 16 January in the Lithuanian shops you can pay and litas and euros. This is done to ensure that citizens are gradually getting used to the new money. Some small business owners have already announced that they will not work in a transitional period, to avoid confusion, since you can only give change in euros. “We do not want to work as exchangers”, – explained the chairman of the association of small entrepreneurs Lithuania Zita Sorokene.
Lithuania joins the euro area under the burden of the Russian embargo, which, according to forecasts of a number of organizations that impact on this small Baltic country more other EU countries.
The Ministry of Finance several times already finalized the growth forecasts for 2015. A few days ago the Minister of Finance Rimantas Shadzhyus said that this year’s GDP growth will be 2.7% – 2.9% – this is more than 1% less than previously forecast.
“This year we face hard task, but we have overcome them, especially now that we have a strong partner – the euro. Let’s make it work for us, “- said at the ceremony Shadzhyus the country’s accession to the euro area.
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