Ministry predicts Estonian economy will grow in 2009 
TBT#620 [ Aug 27, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The Ministry of Finance released cautiou...

Lithuania: corporate spying a threat to national security 
TBT#620 [ Aug 27, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - The Lithuanian Ministry of Economy has r...

S&P downgrades Ukio 
TBT#620 [ Aug 27, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Rating agency Standard & Poor's ...

Eesti Pank says balance the books 
TBT#619 [ Aug 20, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Eesti Pank, Estonia's central bank i...

Fitch: devaluation 'not impossible' 
TBT#619 [ Aug 20, 2008 ]
LONDON - Ratings agency Fitch has produced a speci...

Recession hits Estonia perts worry  
TBT#619 [ Aug 20, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Analysts and Ministry of Finance officia...

Baltic unemployment too low, experts worry  
TBT#619 [ Aug 20, 2008 ]
RIGA - Surprisingly low unemployment rates in the ...

Fitch maintains Norvik ratings 
TBT#618 [ Aug 13, 2008 ]
RIGA - “Fitch Ratings” has affirmed Norvik Banka&#...

Bank of Estonia sanguine despite downturn 
TBT#618 [ Aug 13, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Eesti Pank issued a press statement Au...

Lithuanian inflation loses some air  
TBT#618 [ Aug 13, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - The rate of inflation in Lithuania appea...

Latvia suffers hard landing  
TBT#618 [ Aug 13, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economy finally hit the widely pre...

Agrowill in new share issue 
TBT#618 [ Aug 13, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuanian agricultural company Agrowill...

Estonian CPI at 11.1% 
TBT#617 [ Aug 06, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Statistics Estonia has released its cons...

Fitch: No euro for Latvia until 2014  
TBT#617 [ Aug 06, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia will not realistically be able to ad...

Retail sales fall further  
TBT#617 [ Aug 06, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Rising prices drove down June retail sal...

No rush to finish budget  
TBT#617 [ Aug 06, 2008 ]
RIGA - The Latvian government plans to take its ti...

Merko the exception that proves the rule 
TBT#616 [ Jul 30, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The Tallinn Stock Exchange (TSE) has giv...

Ukio completes bond issue  
TBT#616 [ Jul 30, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - On 30 July 2008 AB Ukio bankas completed...

Lower oil prices boost to Estonia  
TBT#616 [ Jul 30, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Hansabank analysts are welcoming the rec...

S&P still wary of Baltics  
TBT#616 [ Jul 30, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - According to a July 23 report released b...

More pain for consumers as gas prices go up again  
TBT#616 [ Jul 30, 2008 ]
RIGA - The Public Utilities Commission on July 24 ...

Danske worried about Lithuania 
TBT#615 [ Jul 23, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - While many commentators are busy repeati...

S&P offers crumbs of comfort 
TBT#615 [ Jul 23, 2008 ]
LONDON - Standard & Poor's Ratings Service...

Latvian trade deficit to fall 
TBT#615 [ Jul 23, 2008 ]
TALLINN - With economic activity weakening across ...

Hansabank: negative growth ahead 
TBT#615 [ Jul 23, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economy should hit bottom in the f...

Fitch stays negative about Latvia 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
LONDON - Rating agency Fitch maintained its wary e...

SEB joins pan-Baltic bourse list 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) has been a...

More bad Baltic loans, but little cause for concern - Nordea 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
THE latest interim report from Nordic financial g...

Lithuania votes to keep currency board 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s parliament has revoked its t...

Exports power growth 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
RIGA - It is not all bad news in the Latvia econom...

Inflation just keeps on going up 
TBT#614 [ Jul 16, 2008 ]
RIGA - Inflation continues its surge across the Ba...

Moody's confident about Hipoteku  
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
RIGA - July 11th, the international rating agency ...

ABC in new bond issue 
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
TALLINN, Jul 11, BNS - Retail chain ABC Grupi, whi...

Nordea, GILD pick up awards 
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
Nordea has been named 'Best Regional Bank in t...

Inflation hits 12.5% in Lithuania  
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
VILNIUS – Lithuania became the last of the Baltics...

Report raises hopes of inflation turnaround 
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
RIGA - In what is hoped to be the start of the lon...

Politicians calling for discontinuation of currency peg 
TBT#613 [ Jul 09, 2008 ]
VILNIUS -  Lithuanian Prime Minister Gedimina...

Inflation rate dips, but prices still rising 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia's average consumer price level...

No danger of 'new pegs for old' 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
LONDON - There's good news for currency-watche...

No fall in Estonian inflation 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
According to Statistics Estonia, the percentage...

Central banker hails sharp jump in exports 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
RIGA - Bank of Latvia chief Ilmars Rimsevics has h...

Latvian retail sales falling hard 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
RIGA - Retail sales in Latvia dropped 5.1 in May c...

Lithuanian truckers take up French tactics 
TBT#612 [ Jul 02, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - A convoy of trucks protesting rising fue...

Deficit easing in Estonia 
TBT#611 [ Jun 18, 2008 ]
TALLINN -- With economic corrections continuing th...

Swedish banker: Latvia missed the boat 
TBT#611 [ Jun 18, 2008 ]
RIGA - A former chief of Sweden’s central bank has...

Latvian minister to amend budget 
TBT#611 [ Jun 18, 2008 ]
RIGA - With revenues falling short of target, gove...

Centrists: tap into the reserves 
TBT#611 [ Jun 18, 2008 ]
TALLINN - A senior Center Party official has sugge...

Lithuanians restart national stadium project 
TBT#610 [ Jun 11, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuanian lawmakers have breathed new l...

Swedbank chief defends lending policy, braces for losses in Baltics 
TBT#610 [ Jun 11, 2008 ]
RIGA - The president of the largest banking group ...

Negative growth around corner for Estonia 
TBT#610 [ Jun 11, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Baltic markets were in a state of shock ...

Raise a glass to ‘outright recession’ 
TBT#610 [ Jun 11, 2008 ]
RIGA -- Everyone knows that a pessimist’s ‘half ...

Latvian textile industry takes hardest hit 
TBT#609 [ Jun 04, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s textile industry is likely to suff...

Estonia postpones decision on oil shale industry 
TBT#609 [ Jun 04, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The government at its weekly meeting fai...

Lithuania’s GDP still going strong 
TBT#609 [ Jun 04, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s economy ex-panded by a robus...

Rimsevics urges state to boost exports 
TBT#608 [ May 28, 2008 ]
RIGA - Bank of Latvia President Ilmars Rimsevics h...

Wage growth still strong  
TBT#608 [ May 28, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Average gross monthly wages grew nearly ...

Rimsevics: More inflation in store for Latvia 
TBT#607 [ May 21, 2008 ]
RIGA - Speaking at a press conference May 15, Bank...

Agency says Lithuania will have soft landing 
TBT#607 [ May 21, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Standard & Poor’s, a rating agency, ...

Ansip: Estonia’s economic ‘crisis’ no surprise 
TBT#607 [ May 21, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Responding to news that the country’s ec...

SEB picks up regional gong 
TBT#606 [ May 14, 2008 ]
SEB, one of the Baltic's major banking presenc...

Estonia’s inflation picks up pace again 
TBT#606 [ May 14, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The consumer price index rose to an annu...

Latvia’s economy takes a nose-dive, annual growth slows to 3.6 percent 
TBT#606 [ May 14, 2008 ]
RIGA - The hangover has begun. Latvia’s economy, o...

Estonian industrial output falls too sharply 
TBT#605 [ May 07, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s industrial output as of the en...

Experts: distrust hampers development 
TBT#605 [ May 07, 2008 ]
RIGA - Popular distrust of state authorities is La...

Consumers’ buying power, expectations 
TBT#605 [ May 07, 2008 ]
RIGA - Retail sales have continued to fall in Latv...

Estonia cuts budget expenditures by over 3 percent 
TBT#604 [ May 01, 2008 ]
Estonia’s government has slashed spending by 3 bil...

Nordea warns of Latvia’s vulnerabilities 
TBT#604 [ May 01, 2008 ]
Nordea Bank has warned that negative global trends...

Kirkilas: Lithuania’s economy is not in crisis 
TBT#604 [ May 01, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has in...

Deficits, demand dropping, depression 
TBT#603 [ Apr 23, 2008 ]
RIGA – Estonia and Latvia are exhibiting the mo...

Partners disagree over income tax reduction 
TBT#603 [ Apr 23, 2008 ]
TALLINN - A rift has formed in Estonia’s ruling co...

Official: Lithuanian inflation should be lower 
TBT#603 [ Apr 23, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - A central bank official has said that Li...

GE Money to launch bank operations soon 
TBT#603 [ Apr 23, 2008 ]
RIGA - GE Money, a personal finance service provid...

Ross talks up stabilization 
TBT#602 [ Apr 16, 2008 ]
TALLINN -- Marten Ross, deputy governor of the Ban...

Estonian economy “cooling faster than expected” 
TBT#602 [ Apr 16, 2008 ]
TALLINN – In its latest economic assessment, the...

Ansip: property bubble has burst 
TBT#602 [ Apr 16, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has said tha...

Forecasts for Latvian GDP vary wildly, while IMF predicts hard-landing 
TBT#602 [ Apr 16, 2008 ]
RIGA - An informal debate erupted last week over h...

Kirkilas shies away from tough anti-inflation measures 
TBT#601 [ Apr 09, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has sa...

Coalition at odds over austerity budget 
TBT#601 [ Apr 09, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s ruling coalition has failed to...

Latvia’s inflation ticks up slightly to 16.8 percent 
TBT#601 [ Apr 09, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s inflation showed no signs of retre...

WEB SPECIAL: NIB a force to be reckoned with 
TBT#600 [ Apr 03, 2008 ]
HELSINKI -- There are few better examples of stre...

Lithuanian retail sales charge ahead full steam 
TBT#600 [ Apr 03, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Retail sales in Lithuania continued surg...

Ansip: spending cuts inevitable 
TBT#600 [ Apr 03, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has said tha...

Wages, inflation are indicators to watch 
TBT#600 [ Apr 03, 2008 ]
RIGA - As Latvia’s economy continues to cool – lea...

Riga still lagging behind in new office space 
TBT#599 [ Mar 26, 2008 ]
RIGA - Riga will continue to lag behind Tallinn an...

Lithuania burning cigarettes 
TBT#599 [ Mar 26, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Many Lithuanian wholesalers have decided...

E-commerce catching on despite quirks 
TBT#599 [ Mar 26, 2008 ]
TALLINN - E-commerce in Estonia will continue to g...

Fitch leaves Estonia be 
TBT#598 [ Mar 19, 2008 ]
TALLINN -- Ratings agency Fitch has decided not ...

Experts: Latvia must think more about the euro 
TBT#598 [ Mar 19, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s top bankers strengthened calls for...

Estonia convinces Europe on climate 
TBT#598 [ Mar 19, 2008 ]
TALLINN - An EU summit ending on March 14 agreed o...

Current account deficit, lending point to economic slowdown 
TBT#598 [ Mar 19, 2008 ]
RIGA - A new batch of data shows that Latvia’s eco...

Eesti Post mulls five-day delivery  
TBT#597 [ Mar 12, 2008 ]
TALLINN - A debate has arisen whether Eesti Post, ...

Latvia’s Cabinet says ‘no’ to small airports 
TBT#597 [ Mar 12, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s government has decided to freeze p...

Estonia GDP falls as inflation climbs 
TBT#597 [ Mar 12, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s economy is showing signs of in...

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE: Andris Laucins Q&A 
TBT#596 [ Mar 05, 2008 ]
Andris Laucins is chairman of the board of the ...

Capital concerned about Baltic imbalances 
TBT#596 [ Mar 05, 2008 ]
LONDON – Economic forecasting firm Capital Econo...

Estonian economy cooling down at a brisk pace 
TBT#596 [ Mar 05, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Newly released data show that economic a...

Piebalgs: $200 per barrel oil? 
TBT#596 [ Mar 05, 2008 ]
RIGA - The European commissioner for energy, Andri...

Latvia wins minor semantic feud with European Commission 
TBT#596 [ Mar 05, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia emerged the apparent winner in a sem...

Brussels criticizes Lithuania 
TBT#595 [ Feb 27, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - The European Commission has pointed out ...

Godmanis doubts inflation 
TBT#595 [ Feb 27, 2008 ]
RIGA - In what could be a veiled attempt to doctor...

Ansip: time to freeze public sector salaries for sake of euro 
TBT#595 [ Feb 27, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has said tha...

PM mulls over ‘Ignalina negotiator’ 
TBT#594 [ Feb 20, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has re...

Is Estonia headed toward stagflation? 
TBT#594 [ Feb 20, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The threat of stagflation appears to hav...

Lithuania headed for serious ‘macro-trouble’ 
TBT#593 [ Feb 13, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - While Latvia and Estonia grapple with ru...

Latvian construction market at junction of major changes 
TBT#593 [ Feb 13, 2008 ]
RIGA - The structure of Latvia’s building industry...

Estonia’s inflation reaches 11 percent 
TBT#593 [ Feb 13, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s consumer price index crossed i...

Lithuania cools down, though troubles remain 
TBT#592 [ Feb 06, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s economy expanded 8.7 percent...

EU hits at Estonia for tax rules 
TBT#592 [ Feb 06, 2008 ]
TALLINN - The European Union has begun legal proce...

Fitch downgrades Latvia, Estonia 
TBT#592 [ Feb 06, 2008 ]
RIGA - A top ratings agency for sovereign debt, Fi...

Latvia, Estonia join Lithuania in downgrade 
TBT#591 [ Jan 30, 2008 ]
LONDON -- Ratings agency Fitch has downgraded its ...

Estonia to lobby for duties on Russian power 
TBT#591 [ Jan 30, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia might try to persuade the Europe...

New impetus for Swedish power link 
TBT#591 [ Jan 30, 2008 ]
 VILNIUS - Sweden’s government has expressed ...

Latvia posts record surplus, but hard-landing scenario still plausible 
TBT#591 [ Jan 30, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia posted a 0.7 percent budget surplus ...

Estonian investors look east 
TBT#590 [ Jan 23, 2008 ]
TALLINN -- Baltic investment bank GILD Bankers i...

Bank revises GDP, inflation forecasts 
TBT#590 [ Jan 23, 2008 ]
VILNIUS -- The Bank of Lithuania has decided tha...

Adamkus: economy poor on reforms 
TBT#590 [ Jan 23, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - President Valdas Adamkus said that Lithu...

Estonia’s balance improves dramatically 
TBT#590 [ Jan 23, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s current account deficit in Nov...

Gerhards against importing labor 
TBT#590 [ Jan 23, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economy minister has spoken agains...

Rimsevics tinkers with the rates 
TBT#589 [ Jan 16, 2008 ]
RIGA -- The Bank of Latvia council decided on Ja...

Estonia keen on abolishing milk quotas 
TBT#589 [ Jan 16, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia and Sweden have spoken out in fa...

Property prices continue to fall in Riga 
TBT#589 [ Jan 16, 2008 ]
RIGA - Prices of standard design apartments in Rig...

14.1 percent – Latvia’s Dec. inflation 
TBT#589 [ Jan 16, 2008 ]
RIGA - Inflation ended the year at an eye-popping ...

New car market most dynamic in Lithuania 
TBT#588 [ Jan 09, 2008 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s new car market grew at the f...

Latvian insurance market ‘needs competition’ 
TBT#588 [ Jan 09, 2008 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s insurance market is small and has ...

Estonia braced for sharp jump in inflation 
TBT#588 [ Jan 09, 2008 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s inflationary environment was s...

Inflation still rising in Estonia, Lithuania 
TBT#587 [ Dec 19, 2007 ]
VILNIUS/TALLINN – Latest inflation figures show ...

TALKING TAX: Independent self-employed or agents as employees? 
TBT#587 [ Dec 19, 2007 ]
From Jan. 1, 2008 in Latvia the personal income ta...

Savisaar predicts 2 - 3 percent GDP growth in ’08 
TBT#587 [ Dec 19, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar lashed out ...

Lithuania’s Cabinet passes anti-inflation plan 
TBT#587 [ Dec 19, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an...

Official: quality tourism in Latvia lacking 
TBT#586 [ Dec 12, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s top tourist official has come out ...

Estonian inflation hits 9.1 percent 
TBT#586 [ Dec 12, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Consumer prices reached an annual rate o...

Latvia’s inflation reaches 13.7 percent 
TBT#586 [ Dec 12, 2007 ]
RIGA - Inflation in Latvia continued its inexorabl...

Kirkilas downplaying Fitch downgrading 
TBT#585 [ Dec 05, 2007 ]
VILNIUS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Ki...

Fitch goes negative on Lithuania 
TBT#585 [ Dec 05, 2007 ]
LONDON -- Ratings agency Fitch has downgraded it...

Subsidiary vs. branch 
TBT#585 [ Dec 05, 2007 ]
The first thing foreign companies should do when s...

Ministry approves tourism development plan 
TBT#585 [ Dec 05, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Economic Affairs Minister Juhan Parts ap...

Latvia’s loan growth, retail sales undergo quick, steep fall 
TBT#585 [ Dec 05, 2007 ]
RIGA - Fresh data on retail sales and bank lending...

Salaries, wages up over 20 percent 
TBT#584 [ Nov 28, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Gross monthly salaries in Estonia in the...

Property developer freezes project 
TBT#584 [ Nov 28, 2007 ]
TALLINN - One of Estonia’s largest property develo...

Foreign road contractors bypass Latvia  
TBT#584 [ Nov 28, 2007 ]
RIGA - Foreign companies are not showing sustainab...

Baltic stocks hit year-low on fears 
TBT#584 [ Nov 28, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Baltic stocks sank to their lowest level...

TALKING TAX - VAT refund – construction costs on a fast track 
TBT#583 [ Nov 21, 2007 ]
VAT refund is a major issue for any business requi...

Adamkus signs ‘fiscal discipline’ bill 
TBT#583 [ Nov 21, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - President Valdas Adamkus signed on Nov. ...

Rimsevics: Latvia on a ‘soft landing’ 
TBT#583 [ Nov 21, 2007 ]
RIGA - Bank of Latvia President Ilmars Rimsevics h...

Estonia makes top 10 economic freedom list 
TBT#582 [ Nov 14, 2007 ]
WASHINGTON - Estonia was ranked number eight in an...

Estonian, Lithuanian inflation continues to climb 
TBT#582 [ Nov 14, 2007 ]
TALLINN-VILNIUS - Consumer prices continued their ...

Latvia’s GDP relentless, reaches 11.1 percent in Q3 
TBT#582 [ Nov 14, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s gross domestic product surged ahea...

Devaluation talk is all hot air 
TBT#581 [ Nov 07, 2007 ]
TALLINN -- It seems it's Estonia's turn ...

TALKING TAX - How unavoidable are the anti-avoidance provisions? 
TBT#581 [ Nov 07, 2007 ]
One of my favorite singers, Robert Palmer, in his ...

Rimsevics to serve six more years as bank chief 
TBT#581 [ Nov 07, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Latvian parliament re-elected Ilmars Ri...

Estonia resists proposed energy restructuring plan 
TBT#581 [ Nov 07, 2007 ]
RIGA - Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said t...

Baltic slowdown not so serious 
TBT#580 [ Oct 31, 2007 ]
TALLINN -- Jan Liden, head of Swedbank has indic...

Agrovaldymo Grupe to issue IPO 
TBT#580 [ Oct 31, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s largest agricultural investm...

Economists say keeping Rimsevics in his post will promote stability.  
TBT#580 [ Oct 31, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Latvian parliament is expected to vote ...

Inflation outlook remains grim 
TBT#580 [ Oct 31, 2007 ]
RIGA - Inflation in Latvia is set to get worse bef...

Parex launches online brokerage 
TBT#579 [ Oct 24, 2007 ]
RIGA -- Parex Banka has launched a new...

Bridgepoint targets Baltic opportunities 
TBT#579 [ Oct 24, 2007 ]
WARSAW -- Pan-European private equity fund Bridg...

Latvia looking to refinance public debt 
TBT#579 [ Oct 24, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Latvian government remains undecided on...

Lithuania benefits from easing global financial crisis 
TBT#579 [ Oct 24, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s government successfully plac...

Latvia’s economy is slowing, but risks remain for a hard landing 
TBT#579 [ Oct 24, 2007 ]
RIGA - The International Monetary Fund, in its lat...

Magazine warns on Latvian economy 
TBT#578 [ Oct 17, 2007 ]
LONDON -- Influential British magazine The Economi...

TALKING TAX -Corporate income taxes - new challenge for real estate investments?  
TBT#578 [ Oct 17, 2007 ]
It would be correct to say that the real estate ar...

FICIL calls for tax rethink 
TBT#578 [ Oct 17, 2007 ]
RIGA - Against the background of Latvia’s diminish...

Latvia’s finance ministry proposes setting up stabilization fund 
TBT#577 [ Oct 10, 2007 ]
RIGA - Finance Minister Oskars Spurdzins has calle...

Kirkilas calls for passage of fiscal discipline legislation 
TBT#577 [ Oct 10, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Fearing that inflation in Lithuania will...

Inflation specter refuses to disappear in Estonia 
TBT#576 [ Oct 03, 2007 ]
TALLINN -- Inflation continues to be a headache fo...

TALKING TAX: Optimization schemes in Estonia are justified 
TBT#576 [ Oct 03, 2007 ]
The Supreme Court of Estonia recently refused to r...

Estonian private sector unhappy with public sector wage hikes 
TBT#576 [ Oct 03, 2007 ]
TALLINN - An Estonian employers union lashed out a...

Kalvitis jawbones state corporations, public sector wages soar 
TBT#576 [ Oct 03, 2007 ]
RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis met with hea...

Estonia passes ‘optimistic’ 2008 budget 
TBT#575 [ Sep 26, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The government on Sept. 20 approved a dr...

Latvian lawmakers amend 2007 budget, Kalvitis vows bigger surplus in future 
TBT#575 [ Sep 26, 2007 ]
RIGA - Lawmakers on Sept. 20 approved government-b...

Swiss risk warning to investors 
TBT#574 [ Sep 19, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuanian investors have been warned ...

TALKING TAX - Reorganization may require careful tax planning 
TBT#574 [ Sep 19, 2007 ]
Those keeping a close watch on merger and acquisit...

Bank of Latvia: devaluation of lat is ‘impossible’ 
TBT#574 [ Sep 19, 2007 ]
RIGA - Central bank chief Ilmars Rimsevics has onc...

Estonia eyes Finnish nuclear plant 
TBT#574 [ Sep 19, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Top government and energy officials have...

Bad timing for Eurobond issue 
TBT#573 [ Sep 12, 2007 ]
VILNIUS – Lithuanian government officials have adm...

Latvia returns to double-digit price growth 
TBT#573 [ Sep 12, 2007 ]
RIGA - The economic doomsayers won out in Latvia a...

Lithuanian inflation hits 5.5 percent 
TBT#573 [ Sep 12, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania completed the cycle of rampant...

Expected utility hike could send Estonian inflation higher 
TBT#573 [ Sep 12, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Annual inflation in Estonia reached 5.7 ...

Danes note worrying inflation figures 
TBT#572 [ Sep 05, 2007 ]
COPENHAGEN - Danske Bank financial analysts Lars C...

TALKING TAX - Issues arising from M&A transactions 
TBT#572 [ Sep 05, 2007 ]
One important aspect of mergers and acquisitions i...

Wage growth surpasses productivity 
TBT#572 [ Sep 05, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The wage growth-productivity gap in Esto...

Ministers hope Latvian workers will return home en masse 
TBT#572 [ Sep 05, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvian leaders, faced with a worsening lab...

Ansip backtracks on tax forecast 
TBT#571 [ Aug 29, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Two Cabinet officials have stated that t...

Latvia unlikely to witness repeat of U.S. lending crisis – for now 
TBT#571 [ Aug 29, 2007 ]
RIGA - The recent crisis in the U.S. subprime mort...

Carlyle scouting for Baltic opportunities 
TBT#570 [ Aug 22, 2007 ]
WARSAW - Global private equity firm Carlyle Group ...

TALKING TAX: Estonian tax board targets self-employed 
TBT#570 [ Aug 22, 2007 ]
Tax officials in Estonia recently turned their a...

Markets deal blow to Baltic stocks 
TBT#570 [ Aug 22, 2007 ]
RIGA - Baltic equity suffered across the board a...

Estonia’s economy takes dive 
TBT#570 [ Aug 22, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Second-quarter economic growth in Esto...

Snoras joins Riga, Tallinn exchanges 
TBT#569 [ Aug 15, 2007 ]
RIGA/TALLINN - Bankas Snoras AB has been approved ...

Ukrainians snap up troubled bank 
TBT#569 [ Aug 15, 2007 ]
RIGA - Ukrainian investors have purchased a majori...

Latvian GDP still unbridled, banker admits economy is overheated 
TBT#569 [ Aug 15, 2007 ]
RIGA - Once again analysts and bureaucrats scratch...

Aussies highlight fragile economies 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
SYDNEY - EFIC, the Australian Government's exp...

Dubai poised to steal OMX from Nasdaq 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
STOCKHOLM - OMX, the pan-Nordic stock exchange whi...

Hansapank asks for Warsaw access 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
WARSAW – Estonian-based AS Hansapank has submitted...

TALKING TAX: Playing ‘catch me if you can’ blindly 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
We often see in our practice that a considerable n...

Finns to trek to Riga for booze? 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The price gap in alcohol products on bot...

Lithuanian economy up 8.1 percent in first half of 2007 
TBT#568 [ Aug 08, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Gross domestic product in Lithuania grew...

Trade imbalance continues to dog Estonian economy 
TBT#567 [ Aug 01, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Preliminary numbers on Estonia’s foreign...

Soft landing begins for Latvia, Estonia 
TBT#567 [ Aug 01, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Estonian and Latvian economies are sett...

Estonian trade deficit stabilising 
TBT#566 [ Jul 25, 2007 ]
TALLINN - According to preliminary data from Stati...

TALKING TAX: VAT refund according to the Eight VAT Directive 
TBT#566 [ Jul 25, 2007 ]
The unified VAT system established by the so-calle...

Latvian inflation rages on 
TBT#566 [ Jul 25, 2007 ]
RIGA - Inflation at the producer level in Latvia c...

Food prices poised to increase 
TBT#565 [ Jul 18, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Estonian food producers fear that rising...

Almunia hints that government should do more to tackle imbalances 
TBT#565 [ Jul 18, 2007 ]
RIGA - The EU’s monetary commissioner visited the ...

Latvian economy could crash, says mag 
TBT#564 [ Jul 11, 2007 ]
LONDON – For the second time in as many weeks, the...

TALKING TAX: Tax and court practice 
TBT#564 [ Jul 11, 2007 ]
Supreme courts have a significant role in developi...

Food prices dog Estonians 
TBT#564 [ Jul 11, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Consumer prices in Estonia continued the...

Slowly but surely, Latvia glides toward double-digit inflation 
TBT#564 [ Jul 11, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Central Statistics Office on July 9 cam...

Lithuanian Q1 FDI leaps 10 per cent 
TBT#563 [ Jul 04, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Provisional data from Statistics Lithuan...

Baltic Rail to pass through Meitene-Joniskis 
TBT#563 [ Jul 04, 2007 ]
RIGA - Lithuania and Latvia’s transport ministers ...

Parex secures record syndicated loan  
TBT#563 [ Jul 04, 2007 ]
RIGA - Parex Bank announced on June 29 that it has...

Russia stalls on liberalizing tariffs 
TBT#563 [ Jul 04, 2007 ]
RIGA - Russia’s state-run railway company has refu...

S&P’s slams Estonia with negative outlooks 
TBT#563 [ Jul 04, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The international rating agency Standard...

Bank: Older population is economic threat 
TBT#562 [ Jun 27, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - The World Bank has stated in a report th...

Estonia, Latvia grapple with enormous current account deficits 
TBT#562 [ Jun 27, 2007 ]
RIGA - Estonia and Latvia’s economies are the fast...

TALKING TAX: Harmonization of direct taxation: future or fiction? 
TBT#561 [ Jun 20, 2007 ]
Currently the field of direct taxation in the EU...

EU commissioner says Gazprom won’t be exception to trade rules 
TBT#561 [ Jun 20, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The European Union’s competition commi...

Russian government picks favorites for Estonian transit 
TBT#560 [ Jun 13, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Six weeks after the removal of the Bronz...

Estonian GDP plows ahead 9.8 percent 
TBT#560 [ Jun 13, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s economy grew 9.8 percent in th...

‘Banana republic’ of Latvia losing competitiveness at ‘dramatic rate’ 
TBT#560 [ Jun 13, 2007 ]
RIGA - Annual growth of gross domestic product and...

TALKING TAX: Capital duty in Lithuania? 
TBT#559 [ Jun 06, 2007 ]
In the beginning of April the Lithuanian Ministry ...

Kalvitis asks Latvians to stop spending 
TBT#559 [ Jun 06, 2007 ]
RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, speaking in...

S&P’s hits Lithuania with negative outlook 
TBT#558 [ May 30, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - The rating agency Standard & Poor’s last...

Parliament passes tax amendments with aim to decrease tax burden 
TBT#558 [ May 30, 2007 ]
TALLINN - In its first big move since taking power...

TALKING TAX: Your company receives a notice of assessments – what next? 
TBT#557 [ May 23, 2007 ]
In Estonia, if the tax authority issues a notice o...

Latvia’s current account deficit soars, Parliament adopts anti-inflation measures 
TBT#557 [ May 23, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s first quarter current account defi...

Estonia prepares excise tax on electricity 
TBT#556 [ May 16, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s government, still reeling from...

Latvia’s inflationary struggle becomes self-fulfilling prophecy 
TBT#556 [ May 16, 2007 ]
RIGA - Inflation in Latvia continued to run amok i...

TALKING TAX: Last moment to purchase your Aston Martin 
TBT#555 [ May 09, 2007 ]
Latvia’s parliament has adopted amendments to the ...

Finance Ministry flirts with VAT hike 
TBT#555 [ May 09, 2007 ]
RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis was forced t...

Tallinn property market oversaturated 
TBT#554 [ May 02, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Dozens of new residential buildings bein...

IMF throws cold water over Latvia’s balanced budget promise 
TBT#554 [ May 02, 2007 ]
RIGA - The International Monetary Fund has said it...

TALKING TAX: Precaution with VAT on sales of buildings 
TBT#553 [ Apr 25, 2007 ]
Often a real estate developer faces a situation wh...

Lithuanian, Latvian MPs target luxury cars 
TBT#553 [ Apr 25, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - In a search for additional revenues and ...

Building costs soar in Latvia, Estonia 
TBT#553 [ Apr 25, 2007 ]
RIGA - Construction prices catapulted 30 percent i...

TALKING TAX: Any tax due on Lithuanian share transfer? 
TBT#552 [ Apr 18, 2007 ]
This question is one of the first that foreign inv...

Prices rise ever faster in Latvia, Estonia  
TBT#552 [ Apr 18, 2007 ]
RIGA - Inflation continued its unrestrained tromp ...

Barroso, Adamkus defend Grybauskaite 
TBT#551 [ Apr 04, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - European Commission President Jose Manue...

Bank of Latvia chief launches PR campaign 
TBT#551 [ Apr 04, 2007 ]
RIGA - Bank of Latvia President Ilmars Rimsevics w...

EU officials to discuss Russian tariffs 
TBT#550 [ Mar 28, 2007 ]
RIGA - EU officials have promised to challenge Rus...

Inflation set to soar in Estonia, state content with budget surplus 
TBT#550 [ Mar 28, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Citing growth in wages and administered ...

TALKING TAX: Changes to procedures in Latvia’s double tax treaties 
TBT#549 [ Mar 21, 2007 ]
Latvia is signatory to a number of treaties to avo...

Estonia, Lithuania dismiss overheating anxiety spread by Latvia 
TBT#549 [ Mar 21, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economic overheating anxiety and i...

TALKING TAX: Regulation and means of protection of business secrets in Estonia  
TBT#548 [ Mar 14, 2007 ]
In practice, every business activity includes secr...

Latvia finally tends to runaway economy, but measures may be ‘too little too late’ 
TBT#548 [ Mar 14, 2007 ]
RIGA - The government finally approved a plan to c...

TALKINF TAX: Time for advance rulings system? 
TBT#547 [ Mar 07, 2007 ]
Legal certainty is a key element in a good tax sys...

Lithuanian economy hums along, skirts hard-landing scenario 
TBT#547 [ Mar 07, 2007 ]
RIGA - Lithuania’s economy exspanded 7.5 percent i...

TALKING TAX: Finland establishes new ways to enforce taxes 
TBT#546 [ Feb 28, 2007 ]
Finland has seen a steady inflow of Estonia’s work...

Swedbank stock takes dive on lat devaluation fears 
TBT#546 [ Feb 28, 2007 ]
RIGA - Fears of an imminent devaluation of the lat...

Latvia has cheapest gas, thinnest men 
TBT#545 [ Feb 21, 2007 ]
TALLINN - Eurostat, the EU’s central statistics ag...

Devaluation talk irks Kalvitis, Central Bank 
TBT#545 [ Feb 21, 2007 ]
RIGA - An ongoing discussion on the strength of La...

Grybauskaite against diesel excise hike 
TBT#544 [ Feb 14, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - European Budget Commissioner Dalia Gryba...

Estonia’s economy grows 11.5 percent in 2006 
TBT#544 [ Feb 14, 2007 ]
TALLINN - The Finance Ministry reported on Feb. 13...

Latvia’s fourth quarter GDP astounds, while inflation continues to depress 
TBT#544 [ Feb 14, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economy grew by a head-spinning 11...

TALKING TAX: Major changes in Baltic tax regulatory framework 
TBT#543 [ Feb 07, 2007 ]
As is customary in Latvian tax practice, Jan. 1 br...

Latvian bank analysts strike back at ‘overheating hysteria’ 
TBT#543 [ Feb 07, 2007 ]
RIGA - Two of Latvia’s top financial institutions ...

World Bank chimes in on overheating debate 
TBT#542 [ Jan 31, 2007 ]
RIGA - The World Bank has joined the rising choru...

Lithuanian economy expands 7.4 percent in 2006 
TBT#542 [ Jan 31, 2007 ]
RIGA - Lithuania’s gross domestic product surged 7...

TALKING TAX: How to benefit from tax treaties 
TBT#541 [ Jan 24, 2007 ]
After regaining independence, the Baltic states st...

Pessimism takes over economic outlook 
TBT#541 [ Jan 24, 2007 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s oven-hot economy has triggered an ...

Estonian stocks make record gains 
TBT#540 [ Jan 17, 2007 ]
TALLINN - With most stocks scoring rises of severa...

Bank of Latvia’s assets soar 
TBT#540 [ Jan 17, 2007 ]
RIGA - The Bank of Latvia’s assets grew 54.7 perce...

TALKING TAX: New real estate investment structures in Estonia 
TBT#539 [ Jan 10, 2007 ]
The new amendments to the Investment Funds Act tha...

Sanitas celebrates booming 2006 
TBT#539 [ Jan 10, 2007 ]
VILNIUS - Sanitas group, the owner of pharmaceutic...

2007 unlikely to see significant progress against inflation 
TBT#539 [ Jan 10, 2007 ]
RIGA - The first macroeconomic results began trick...

TALKING TAX: More air to breathe in Latvia’s tax enforcement system 
TBT#538 [ Dec 20, 2006 ]
A long-awaited day for Latvian taxpayers is coming...

Latvian government sends mixed signals on migrant workers 
TBT#538 [ Dec 20, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers agreed on Dec...

Lithuania’s poverty level drops  
TBT#537 [ Dec 13, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The Statistics Department reported this ...

Optimism overheating Estonia, Latvia’s economy 
TBT#537 [ Dec 13, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Baltics’ economic euphoria shows no sig...

TALKING TAX: Schemes in cross-border employment 
TBT#536 [ Dec 06, 2006 ]
Foreign investment and accession to the EU have gi...

Baltics to be hit hardest by natural gas price-hike 
TBT#536 [ Dec 06, 2006 ]
RIGA - Russia’s Gazprom announced last week that i...

Constructionrises by 16 percent 
TBT#535 [ Nov 29, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Latvian national statistics office repo...

SEB predicts rate hikes for Estonia 
TBT#535 [ Nov 29, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Bank loans will become more expensive in...

Russia behind hike in gas prices 
TBT#535 [ Nov 29, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Russian natural gas monopoly, Gazpro...

Economic development slowdown for Lithuania 
TBT#535 [ Nov 29, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania will retain its fast economic ...

TALKING TAX: Tax efficient structures in the Baltic states  
TBT#534 [ Nov 22, 2006 ]
The purpose of this article is to give a concise o...

Hansabank: Balts should curb lending 
TBT#534 [ Nov 22, 2006 ]
RIGA - To reduce the risk of overheating economies...

Let’s welcome the ‘Baltic tigers’  
TBT#534 [ Nov 22, 2006 ]
RIGA - A recent report by Nordea shows a mixed, ye...

Construction wages keep climbing  
TBT#533 [ Nov 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - The wages of construction workers in Latvia...

Latvia tops Baltic inflation list 
TBT#533 [ Nov 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s annual inflation in October still ...

Estonians to be as rich as Portuguese 
TBT#533 [ Nov 15, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s per capita GDP will reach the ...

Euro accession drifts further away  
TBT#533 [ Nov 15, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Due to consistent inflation, it will be ...

Latvia lags behind in Baltic trade 
TBT#533 [ Nov 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia still falls behind its Baltic neighb...

TALKING TAX: VAT anti-avoidance: the Baltic angle 
TBT#532 [ Nov 08, 2006 ]
A couple of weeks ago I attended a meeting we regu...

Latvia, Estonia to pay sweet EU fine 
TBT#532 [ Nov 08, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Latvian government on Nov. 6 said that ...

Baltic stock exchanges adopt new indexes 
TBT#532 [ Nov 08, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius stock exch...

Lithuanian workers’ rights violated at Finland’s Turku Port 
TBT#532 [ Nov 08, 2006 ]
TURKU, Finland - Occupational health and safety or...

IMF urges Latvia to curb lending 
TBT#529 [ Oct 18, 2006 ]
RIGA - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has u...

SEB Group predicts robust growth  
TBT#529 [ Oct 18, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Swedish SEB group of banks is one of th...

TALKING TAX: Finnish taxes and profit repatriation 
TBT#528 [ Oct 11, 2006 ]
Finland was forced to change its corporate income ...

Half of Lithuanians support euro 
TBT#528 [ Oct 11, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - More than half of Lithuania’s population...

Latvia triples dairy exports 
TBT#528 [ Oct 11, 2006 ]
RIGA - Recent figures show that the Latvian dairy ...

Experts predict stable growth for Estonian economy 
TBT#528 [ Oct 11, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Last week was abuzz with predictions for...

TALKING TAX: Purchasing shares from an offshore company 
TBT#526 [ Sep 27, 2006 ]
Offshore jurisdictions for years have offered attr...

Estonia Bank: Surplus not for railroads 
TBT#526 [ Sep 27, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Bank of Estonia has reigned in on th...

EU Commissioner warns of inflation, slow EU fund implementation 
TBT#526 [ Sep 27, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - On her recent visit to Vilnius, the EU b...

Estonia & Singapore sign agreement 
TBT#525 [ Sep 20, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonian Finance Minister Aivar Soerd si...

Non-residents impact Latvian economy 
TBT#525 [ Sep 20, 2006 ]
RIGA - Deposits from non-residents into Latvian ba...

Latvia and Estonia to close pension loophole 
TBT#525 [ Sep 20, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia and Estonia have announced an agreem...

2009 for Lithuanian euro? 
TBT#525 [ Sep 20, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Analysts at SEB Vilniaus Bankas have lai...

Inflation unrelenting in Estonia 
TBT#524 [ Sep 13, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonian economists said the 5 percent a...

Europe’s hardest workers? 
TBT#524 [ Sep 13, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Citing a report by the European Organiza...

Estonia too dependent on Russian gas 
TBT#524 [ Sep 13, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Gerard Doucet, secretary general of the ...

Double-digit growth in Latvia persists 
TBT#524 [ Sep 13, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s economy expanded 12 percent in the...

TALKING TAX: How thin is capitalization in the Baltics? 
TBT#523 [ Sep 07, 2006 ]
In financing subsidiaries, corporations face a dil...

Hansapank dominates Estonia 
TBT#523 [ Sep 07, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Hansapank enjoyed a market share in Esto...

Economists: Wages in Latvia to continue rising indefinitely 
TBT#523 [ Sep 07, 2006 ]
RIGA - Wages in Latvia will keep growing as long a...

Estonia 2Q GDP rockets 12 percent 
TBT#523 [ Sep 07, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s economy expanded a mind-boggli...

Lithuania wants hook-up to Sweden 
TBT#522 [ Aug 30, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lietuvos Energija (Lithuanian Energy), t...

Laanet: trucks could be registered electronically 
TBT#522 [ Aug 30, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Interior Minister Kalle Laanet said the ...

Estonia’s euro hopes for 2008 recede 
TBT#522 [ Aug 30, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Finance Ministry announced last week...

Despite tax cut, Lithuanian revenues increase 
TBT#521 [ Aug 23, 2006 ]
VILNUS - Despite a cut in the personal income tax ...

Register your business – online 
TBT#521 [ Aug 23, 2006 ]
TALLINN - A bill drafted by the Justice Ministry w...

TALKING TAX: Consignment stocks in the Baltics 
TBT#521 [ Aug 23, 2006 ]
In order to minimize marketing and sales costs in ...

Ansip: productivity should come first 
TBT#521 [ Aug 23, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stepped into...

No sign of inflation slowing down 
TBT#520 [ Aug 16, 2006 ]
RIGA - Analysts raised their annual inflation fore...

Estonian unions want to link pay with qualifications 
TBT#520 [ Aug 16, 2006 ]
TALLINN - In addition to a rise in the minimum wag...

Estonia’s budget surplus continues to rise 
TBT#520 [ Aug 16, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s budget surplus – one of only s...

TALKING TAX: Car taxation in the EU: What’s the big deal 
TBT#519 [ Aug 09, 2006 ]
Confusion abounds. First, the European Commission ...

Inflation continues to grip Estonia 
TBT#519 [ Aug 09, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Finance Ministry and the Bank of Est...

Study: Latvian banks developing faster than expected 
TBT#519 [ Aug 09, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvian banks have been developing at a fas...

Lithuanians set sights on 2009 for eurozone entry 
TBT#519 [ Aug 09, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Even though Lithuanians are being told t...

Savisaar backs idea of train to Riga 
TBT#518 [ Aug 02, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Minister of Economy and Communications E...

Snoras chiefs after majority stake 
TBT#518 [ Aug 02, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Two top executives of Snoras Bankas, one...

Lithuanian GDP up 8.2 % in 1H 
TBT#518 [ Aug 02, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s gross domestic product grew ...

TALKING TAX: Lithuanian real estate tax continues quest for improvement 
TBT#517 [ Jul 26, 2006 ]
As of Jan. 1, 2006 the new Law on Real Estate Tax,...

Latvia banks among most profitable 
TBT#517 [ Jul 26, 2006 ]
Latvian banks have the second highest profitabilit...

E-bills catching on in Estonia 
TBT#517 [ Jul 26, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The freshest data in Estonia suggests th...

Report: Estonia needs to raise productivity 
TBT#517 [ Jul 26, 2006 ]
TALLINN - To maintain rapid economic growth, Eston...

Lithuanians spend more on food 
TBT#516 [ Jul 19, 2006 ]
RIGA - Lithuanian households spend more money on f...

Estonia ready for shipping on Peipsi 
TBT#516 [ Jul 19, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Economic Affairs Minister Edgar Savisaar...

Bank of Latvia raises refinance rate, warns of continued inflation 
TBT#516 [ Jul 19, 2006 ]
RIGA - The council of the Bank of Latvia on July 1...

TALKING TAX: ‘Hey, where should I put my old fridge?’ 
TBT#515 [ Jul 12, 2006 ]
As of July 1, 2006 the Natural Resources Tax in La...

Internet banking strong as ever 
TBT#515 [ Jul 12, 2006 ]
TALLINN - At the end of June the five largest comm...

Inflation unrelenting in Estonia 
TBT#515 [ Jul 12, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Annual inflation in Estonia reached 4.3 ...

Shadow boxing in Latvia 
TBT#514 [ Jul 05, 2006 ]
RIGA - The size of the shadow economy—or gray econ...

Investing in the cauldron 
TBT#514 [ Jul 05, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s Ukio Banko Investicine Grupe...

Latvia prepared to sue EU over sugar reform 
TBT#514 [ Jul 05, 2006 ]
RIGA - After concluding that the European Commissi...

Estonian economy running hot 
TBT#514 [ Jul 05, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s economy grew 11.7 percent over...

TALKING TAX: Transfer pricing regulation in the Baltics 
TBT#513 [ Jun 28, 2006 ]
Countries have been monitoring their tax burden fo...

Lithuania to hedge its ‘bets’ 
TBT#513 [ Jun 28, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The ministries of Finance and Economy ar...

Parex makes prestigous asset manager list 
TBT#513 [ Jun 28, 2006 ]
RIGA - Investment & Pensions Europe, a financial t...

Study: Riga most expensive city in the Baltics 
TBT#513 [ Jun 28, 2006 ]
RIGA - Riga has been ranked as the most expensive ...

Amendments in taxation of non-residents in Estonia 
TBT#512 [ Jun 14, 2006 ]
On May 31 the Parliament of Estonia adopted amendm...

Lithuania wants to hedge refinery deal 
TBT#512 [ Jun 14, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s government may consider hedg...

Latvian economy rockets 13.1 percent in 1Q 
TBT#512 [ Jun 14, 2006 ]
RIGA - First quarter economic growth in Latvia rea...

EU hails Estonian pension reform 
TBT#511 [ Jun 07, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Expenditures on pensions in Estonia by 2...

Estonia at risk of overheating 
TBT#511 [ Jun 07, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Preliminary data shows that Estonia’s ec...

Report: informal deal may give boost to bilateral energy cooperation 
TBT#511 [ Jun 07, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - A leading daily reported last week that ...

Cabinet approves four-year budget plan 
TBT#511 [ Jun 07, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s government approved a budget s...

IMF: Latvia must beware ‘overheating’ 
TBT#510 [ May 31, 2006 ]
RIGA - A mission from the International Monetary F...

Baltic wages climbing fast 
TBT#510 [ May 31, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Fresh statistics from Estonia and Lithua...

‘Euro-blues’ settle over Baltics 
TBT#510 [ May 31, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Baltic financial leaders are now in an e...

TALKING TAX: New regulation clarifies VAT application in Latvia 
TBT#509 [ May 24, 2006 ]
The government adopted new regulations on implemen...

Tourist numbers soar in Latvia, Lithuania 
TBT#509 [ May 24, 2006 ]
RIGA - The number of foreign tourists visiting Vil...

Estonians more cautious about property 
TBT#509 [ May 24, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The slowdown in real estate prices and g...

Lithuania suffers ‘Russian energy bug’ 
TBT#509 [ May 24, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - A top Lithuanian official has said that ...

TALKING TAX: New e-tax-returns: has the bureaucracy vanished? 
TBT#508 [ May 17, 2006 ]
Prior to March 24, 2006 all Latvian businesses wer...

Finnish-Estonian trade unions shake hands 
TBT#508 [ May 17, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Spurred by the opening of the Finnish la...

Latvia sees ultra-low interest rates 
TBT#508 [ May 17, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia is the only European Union member st...

Estonia foregoes excise tax 
TBT#508 [ May 17, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonian ministers last week decided to ...

European Parliament to be tough on Maastricht criteria 
TBT#507 [ May 10, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The European Parliament is reportedly pr...

EC gives Estonia bleak inflation forecast 
TBT#507 [ May 10, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The European Commission has estimated th...

Latvia to keep grip on fuel excise 
TBT#506 [ May 03, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia might continue the practice of not a...

Bank of Estonia forecasts 8.1 percent growth 
TBT#506 [ May 03, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Bank of Estonia released a new batch...

Lithuania sticks to its guns on eurozone membership in 2007 
TBT#506 [ May 03, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Top government officials said Lithuania ...

TALKING TAX: Flexibility is key for organizations to survive 
TBT#505 [ Apr 26, 2006 ]
Last Christmas my wife, who knows my interests wel...

Commission lends support for hurricane damages 
TBT#505 [ Apr 26, 2006 ]
TALLINN - European Commissioner for Regional Polic...

Finns to facilitate labor 
TBT#505 [ Apr 26, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Finland’s Labor Ministry announced that ...

Poland keen on new interstate roads 
TBT#504 [ Apr 19, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Poland is set to plow billions of euros ...

EU-domains up for grabs, speculators poised to gain 
TBT#504 [ Apr 19, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Speculators have begun to register eu-en...

Euro slipping away from Lithuania 
TBT#504 [ Apr 19, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - EU policy makers have reportedly express...

Land deal sets new record in Tallinn 
TBT#504 [ Apr 19, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Real estate experts said the record-brea...

TALKING TAX: Pension rights.... what is that exactly? 
TBT#503 [ Apr 12, 2006 ]
Announced early on in the millenium, yet initially...

Latvia still hexed by prices 
TBT#503 [ Apr 12, 2006 ]
RIGA - Annual inflation in Latvia is still much hi...

Pack bags for Zurich 
TBT#503 [ Apr 12, 2006 ]
LONDON - A Swiss human resource company has publis...

Almunia’s stance on Lithuania’s euro membership irks Balcytis 
TBT#503 [ Apr 12, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The European Commission’s monetary chief...

Quirks of pan-Baltic trade 
TBT#502 [ Apr 05, 2006 ]
RIGA - Last year Latvia imported mainly cigarettes...

Estonian GDP leaps 9.8 percent in 2005 
TBT#502 [ Apr 05, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Estonia’s economy almost reached double-...

Talking tax. Latvia opts in for lateral tax system. 
TBT#501 [ Mar 29, 2006 ]
There is something that made my tax lawyers heart ...

Lithuania to get anti-piracy center 
TBT#501 [ Mar 29, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania will set up an anti-piracy cen...

Parex sees bottom line soar 
TBT#501 [ Mar 29, 2006 ]
RIGA - Parex Bank saw its earnings skyrocket last ...

Latvia bullish on wage increases 
TBT#500 [ Mar 22, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Finance Ministry announced that the ave...

Brussels offers no hope for Estonia 
TBT#500 [ Mar 22, 2006 ]
TALLINN - EU Tax Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs has to...

Lithuania submits request for euro, Almunia expresses doubts about eligibility 
TBT#500 [ Mar 22, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Financial officials announced last week ...

Unemployment drops in Estonia at a time when employers gripe about tight labor market 
TBT#499 [ Mar 15, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The number of registered jobless in Esto...

Latvia has bang-up year in 2005 
TBT#499 [ Mar 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia exceeded itself last year in terms o...

Talking tax 
TBT#498 [ Mar 08, 2006 ]
New treaty exposed to retroactive effectTwo Baltic...

Estonians increasingly “euro-skeptic” 
TBT#498 [ Mar 08, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Less than 40 percent of Estonian residen...

Latvia cuts sugar production by 8.6 percent 
TBT#498 [ Mar 08, 2006 ]
RIGA - The sugar production quota at Latvia’s suga...

Lithuania clings to euro 2007 hopes 
TBT#498 [ Mar 08, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The Finance Ministry last week announced...

Russian banks eyeing Lithuania 
TBT#497 [ Mar 01, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Russia’s banks are interested in the Li...

Latvia leads in new bank cards 
TBT#497 [ Mar 01, 2006 ]
RIGA - Last year Latvia saw the steepest growth in...

Commissioner irks central banker  
TBT#497 [ Mar 01, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania’s drive to become one of the f...

Talking tax  
TBT#496 [ Feb 22, 2006 ]
VAT on transfer of business: the “no supply rule”R...

Estonia hopes to cut VAT 
TBT#496 [ Feb 22, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Ministry of Economy and Communicatio...

Working group for euro to be set up 
TBT#496 [ Feb 22, 2006 ]
RIGA - Finance Minister Oskars Spurdzins and EU Co...

Latvian GDP hits double-digits, unlikely to be repeated 
TBT#496 [ Feb 22, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Economy Ministry announced last week th...

Lithuania leads EU energy plan 
TBT#495 [ Feb 15, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania is drafting proposals for the ...

Latvian inflation shows no sign of abating 
TBT#495 [ Feb 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - Consumer prices in Latvia continued their s...

Ansip defends Estonian tax system 
TBT#495 [ Feb 15, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip spoke out in...

Kalvitis admits government falls short on results 
TBT#495 [ Feb 15, 2006 ]
RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis said last we...

Minister dismisses oil 
TBT#494 [ Feb 08, 2006 ]
RIGA - Environmental Minister Raimonds Vejonis has...

TALKING TAX 
TBT#494 [ Feb 08, 2006 ]
Taxation of stock options in the BalticsRapid econ...

Common currency prospects continue to captivate Baltic leaders 
TBT#494 [ Feb 08, 2006 ]
TALLINN-RIGA - The Baltic states’ dream of adoptin...

Lithuanian GDP surges 
TBT#493 [ Feb 01, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Gross domestic product in Lithuania grew...

Res Publica calls for lower taxes 
TBT#493 [ Feb 01, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Chairman of the opposition Res Publica p...

Latvian, Lithuanian banks see assets skyrocket 
TBT#493 [ Feb 01, 2006 ]
RIGA-VILNIUS - Assets of Lithuanian banks grew 53....

Talking tax 
TBT#492 [ Jan 25, 2006 ]
VAT litigation in Latvia 2005: “the black spotsAs ...

Big Mac: lat still underrated 
TBT#492 [ Jan 25, 2006 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s national currency, the lat, is und...

Lithuanians to mint euro-money 
TBT#492 [ Jan 25, 2006 ]
The Bank of Lithuania announced last week that it ...

Baltics’ early euro-ambitions put to the test 
TBT#492 [ Jan 25, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania and Estonia’s pre-eurozone mem...

Banker: Latvia’s 2008 euro hopes dwindling every day 
TBT#491 [ Jan 18, 2006 ]
RIGA - Central bank head Ilmars Rimsevics told a n...

Lithuanians bullish on abroad 
TBT#491 [ Jan 18, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuanian business’ direct investments ...

Estonia shrugs off innovation ranking 
TBT#491 [ Jan 18, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Economic Affairs Ministry said that ...

Lithuania finishes first in inflation 
TBT#490 [ Jan 11, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - Lithuania had the lowest rate of inflati...

Two Latvian banks placed under anti-laundering monitoring 
TBT#490 [ Jan 11, 2006 ]
RIGA - The Finance and Capital Markets Commission ...

Minister mulls over extra cash 
TBT#490 [ Jan 11, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Finance Minister Aivar Soerd said Estoni...

Estonian annual inflation hits 4.1 percent 
TBT#490 [ Jan 11, 2006 ]
TALLINN - Annual inflation amounted to 4.1 percent...

Record year for mortgages at Latvian banks 
TBT#489 [ Jan 04, 2006 ]
RIGA - Mortgage loans issued by Latvia’s banks inc...

Ministry mulls abolishing social tax 
TBT#489 [ Jan 04, 2006 ]
VILNIUS - The Finance Ministry does not rule out d...

Kalvitis targets 5 percent inflation in 2006 
TBT#489 [ Jan 04, 2006 ]
RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis said on Dec....

Estonian GDP breaks 10 percent barrier in 3Q 
TBT#489 [ Jan 04, 2006 ]
TALLINN - The Statistical Office reported last wee...

Green energy in the Baltic states: Lack of will 
TBT#488 [ Dec 21, 2005 ]
EU Directive 2000/71/EC, binding to all member sta...

Lithuania rethinks inflation figures 
TBT#488 [ Dec 21, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - The Finance Ministry has raised its infl...

Latvia to pay for aviation noise 
TBT#488 [ Dec 21, 2005 ]
RIGA - The European Commission’s representative in...

Lithuanian GDP still robust 
TBT#487 [ Dec 14, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - GDP grew 6.9 percent in the first nine m...

Unemployment dropping fast in Estonia 
TBT#487 [ Dec 14, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The number of unemployed persons looking...

Lisbon strategy: at the junction between now and then 
TBT#487 [ Dec 14, 2005 ]
Some weeks ago, the Euro-pean Commis-sion released...

Sugar importers prefer fines 
TBT#486 [ Dec 07, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Not one Estonian company withdrew its ex...

Niam to invest large sums 
TBT#486 [ Dec 07, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Niam Fund III, the leading Nordic assets...

Latvian banks step up vigilance 
TBT#486 [ Dec 07, 2005 ]
RIGA - The anti-money laundering authority announc...

Welfare minister to ask for minimum wage increase, jawbones employers 
TBT#486 [ Dec 07, 2005 ]
RIGA - Alarmed by the gradual exodus of working ha...

Labor shortage crisis becomes more acute 
TBT#485 [ Nov 30, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Two media reports last week highlighted ...

Bank: Estonian economy to expand by 8 percent 
TBT#485 [ Nov 30, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The Estonian economy is expected to grow...

President Vike-Freiberga weighs in on Latvia’s euro woes 
TBT#485 [ Nov 30, 2005 ]
RIGA - President Vaira Vike-Freiberga has said tha...

Estonia sanguine about price-rise 
TBT#484 [ Nov 23, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The Finance Ministry said that, while Es...

Lithuania fears inflationary fever 
TBT#484 [ Nov 23, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Finance Ministry official said that aver...

Bank of Latvia says inflation, ultra-hot economy are long-term risks 
TBT#484 [ Nov 23, 2005 ]
RIGA - The Bank of Latvia raised the mandatory re...

Experts: no property crash for Estonia 
TBT#483 [ Nov 16, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Specialists at a major real estate conf...

Snoras opens doors in Estonia 
TBT#483 [ Nov 16, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Lithuania’s Snoras Bank opened its repre...

Dollar hits high against litas 
TBT#483 [ Nov 16, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - The U.S. dollar hit a two-year high agai...

German-Norwegian joint venture to solidify Baltic bank subsidiaries 
TBT#483 [ Nov 16, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Nord/LB Holding, a Denmark-registered su...

Logistics in the Baltics – behind the times 
TBT#482 [ Nov 09, 2005 ]
Traditionally, the Baltic states have positioned t...

Latvia lagging behind in euro preparedness 
TBT#482 [ Nov 09, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Though there is less than a year to go b...

EC backs off gas and electricity liberalization  
TBT#482 [ Nov 09, 2005 ]
RIGA - The European Commission has terminated its ...

IMF: Estonia may be overheating 
TBT#482 [ Nov 09, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The International Monetary Fund has said...

Piebalgs open to new Ignalina 
TBT#481 [ Nov 02, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - The European Commissioner for energy pol...

Commissioner Kallas: EU not planning unified corporate tax  
TBT#481 [ Nov 02, 2005 ]
TALLINN - European Commission Vice President Siim ...

EC ready to discuss cheap gas 
TBT#481 [ Nov 02, 2005 ]
RIGA - The Economy Ministry said the European Comm...

Report: Snoras paid 22.6 mln euros for Latvian bank 
TBT#480 [ Oct 26, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Snoras apparently paid about 78 million ...

Baltic stocks still attractive 
TBT#480 [ Oct 26, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Kaidi Oone, board member of the Tallinn ...

Parliament passes record 2006 budget 
TBT#480 [ Oct 26, 2005 ]
RIGA - Latvia’s Parliament adopted the 2006 state ...

Court supports state on sugar 
TBT#479 [ Oct 19, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Court disputes between the state and pri...

Property prices flying across Lithuania 
TBT#479 [ Oct 19, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Apartment prices in Lithuania rose 7.7 p...

Holiday for mortgage loan interest could end 
TBT#479 [ Oct 19, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The Estonian government is considering c...

Euro-anxiety continues to grip Baltics 
TBT#479 [ Oct 19, 2005 ]
RIGA - Baltic leaders continued to fret about thei...

Mortage loans to stay in robust 
TBT#478 [ Oct 12, 2005 ]
RIGA - The rate of mortgage lending in Latvia is n...

Ministry suspends fuel purchases 
TBT#478 [ Oct 12, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The Ministry of Economy has indefinitely...

Tallink edging closer to IPO 
TBT#478 [ Oct 12, 2005 ]
TALLINN - The Tallink Group announced last week th...

EC gives show of moral support to Latvia 
TBT#478 [ Oct 12, 2005 ]
European Commissioner for Internal Markets and Ser...

Latvia to slash deficit, inflation in 2006 
TBT#477 [ Oct 05, 2005 ]
RIGA - The government has approved a draft budget ...

Niedvaras moves up and east 
TBT#477 [ Oct 05, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - SEB Vilniaus Bankas, Lithuania's lar...

Palts takes aim at Lipstok 
TBT#477 [ Oct 05, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Tallinn Mayor Tonis Palts last week lash...

Unions to decide on migrant labor 
TBT#476 [ Sep 28, 2005 ]
HELSINKI - Finland will likely decide in the begin...

Latvia to seek compensation for wet crops 
TBT#476 [ Sep 28, 2005 ]
RIGA - Agriculture Minister Martins Roze has said ...

Bank calls for larger surplus 
TBT#476 [ Sep 28, 2005 ]
The Bank of Estonia warned last week that the gove...

Lithuania best at absorbing EU funds 
TBT#476 [ Sep 28, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - Dalia Grybauskaite, the European commiss...

Business calendar 
TBT#475 [ Sep 21, 2005 ]
ESTONIA ICFP 2005. Tenth international conference...

Estonia most likely to see euro in 2008 
TBT#475 [ Sep 21, 2005 ]
TALLINN - Estonia's hopes to adopt the euro in...

Buying a business in the Baltics: how to avoid a "pig in a poke" 
TBT#475 [ Sep 21, 2005 ]
The merger and acquisition market in Latvia is in ...

Retailers want to delay euro 
TBT#474 [ Sep 14, 2005 ]
VILNIUS - The Lithuanian Association of Retail Tra...

Swedbank may consider listing for Hansa</