Jun 23 2010, no 298

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 Highlights from this issue:

 TOP STORIES
- Bite mobile telecom group is investing into network upgrade in Lithuania and Latvia as demand for mobile internet rises, and promises faster data transmission speeds and greater area coverage (page 10).

- Once again, Lithuania showed the deepest labour cost decline in the EU in Q1 2010. Analyst tells news2biz that pressure on wages will stay put as inflexible regulations prevent employers from creating new jobs (page 14).
 
MANUFACTURING
- Grafobal packaging printer raises capacity by third at new plant.
- Snaige takes technological jump into A++ class fridges.
- Lithuanian immigrants help Irish mats maker relocate to Siauliai.
- Industrial output growth slows somewhat in May.

FINANCE
- Snoras bank goes pan-Baltic with branch in Riga, but Tallinn on stand-by mode.
- Euler Hermes credit insurer covers Baltics from Poland and Finland.
- Back in black: non-financial sector returns to profits in Q1.
- Economic crisis no force majeure, court tells bank customer.
 
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
- Scandinavian Scandagra grain trader buys own warehouses as rent rates bite.
- Swiss Hochdorf dairy buys into MGL milk protein powder firm, plans raising capacity.
- Danes start up administration company for farmers.
- Lithuanian Eva gains control of Polish Mieszko confectionary.
 
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION
- Finnish YIT developer restarts apartment project on market recovery hopes, offices still on hold.
- Flat prices reach bottom, data shows.
- Danish DT building goods trader has sourcing office in Vilnius.

RETAIL & SERVICE
- Italian Miroglio fashion house moves to own Motivi stores in Baltics.
- Ethics pushed aside as firms battle for consumers.
- Bilietai LT ticketing firm goes to Belarus.

IT & MEDIA
- Indian Ideal Invent eyes subsidies for 100-staff IT service centre in Vilnius.
- Etalinkas IT firm gains country's first ISO/IEC 20000 certificate.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
- Rail Baltica railway project moves out of limbo.
- Road transport still affected by crisis, railway and sea cargo volumes grow in Q1.
 
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
- Finnish Lassila & Tikanoja waste management firm starts scouting Lithuania.
- Tallinn water utility drafts pan-Baltic plans.
- Danish Grundfos pump maker merges Baltic sales units.
 
ECONOMY & POLITICS
- Social security tax and benefits, real estate tax to come under review in autumn.
- Only 28% of population fund the budget, study says.
- Government halves tax credit interest rate.

EVENTS (Vilnius, Klaipeda)
- Swedish Chamber's After Hours, 24 June.
- Belarus: What to Expect, breakfast technical meeting, 30 June.
- German Chamber Meeting, 30 June.
- Norwegians Visit Klaipeda, 30-31 June.
- Estonia in OECD: How Can Lithuania Benefit?, roundtable discussion, 1 July.
- US Independence Day, 1 July.
- One-man show by Danish comedian Bircow, 3 July.

KEY FIGURES
- Wages, real earnings, foreign trade, money supply, lending, inflation, interest rates, consumer price index, currency, stock exchange, prices of key commodities, retail trade, industrial output, producer prices, GDP, current account, foreign direct investment and key economic data forecast 2010-11.

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