Business, Crisis, Economics, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

The list includes Agrokoncernas, the agricultural business group owned by Ramunas Karbauskis, leader of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, as well as companies operating DIY and household goods stores, clothing, furniture and other stores, car sellers, tour operators and catering companies.

The list of the coronavirus-affected companies includes travel companies Novaturas, Tez Tour, Baltic Clipper, Baltic Tours, catering companies Cili Piza, Amber food, operating the Charlie Pizza, La Crepe chains, as well as Premier Restaurants which operated the McDonald's chain in the Baltic states.

DIY and household goods chains are also on the list and include Ermitazas, Kesko Senukai, Depo, as well as the agricultural equipment sale group Dojus Agro; Imlitex, part of the Imlitex Holdings group, Apranga, the largest clothing retailer in the Baltric states; furniture company SBA Baldu Kompanija; Felit, the company operating the IKEA franchise, as well as Topo Grupe operating the Topo Centras chain.

The list also includes many car sellers and hotel operators, including Lietuva Viesbutis, operating the Radisson Blu hotel in Vilnius, as well as Congress, Stikliai, Narutis hotels in Vilnius and Grand SPA Lietuva in Druskininkai.

Estonia's railway services group Skinest Baltia, IT company Atea and the booking.com services center also got on the list.

Those businesses will be exempt from fines and tax recovery, its head Edita Janusiene said.

"As of March 16 for the whole period of the state of emergency, these businesses will be exempt from interests in arrears, tax recovery, and they will be able to sign interest-free tax loans after submitting a request," Janusiene said.

Ruta Asadauskaite, spokeswoman for the STI, later told LETA/BNS the list includes various forms of legal entities. "These tax payers will be offered and subject to similar measures facilitating the payment of social insurance premiums," she said.

Negatively affected businesses that have not been put on the list might also turn to the STI for assistance.