Olekas says finance minister is busy but accessible

Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said Finance Minister Taurimas Valys was working intensively but remained accessible, despite missing meetings with parliamentary groups. LRT reported, citing ELTA.

Olekas said Valys regularly attended parliamentary sessions for questions to the government and was travelling frequently to meet the European Commission. He said coordination with the Commission was important as parliament prepares to approve the budget and Lithuania has numerous commitments to meet.

Conservative and Liberal opposition parties, as well as the Nemuno Aušra and Farmers and Greens groups, had invited Valys to their meetings. His team cancelled the meetings, citing a busy schedule. Olekas said he was willing to act as an intermediary between the minister and the parliamentary groups if needed.

After the minister did not attend, the opposition collected the 10 signatures required to invite him to answer questions from the parliamentary rostrum. Lawmakers want to know the planned ratio of public debt to gross domestic product and how much of the budget will go towards interest payments by the end of the government’s term in 2028.

The opposition says public debt is approaching 45% of GDP and is expected to rise further, while borrowing costs are considerably higher than in previous years. It has also urged Valys to commit to keeping the 2027 budget deficit within the 3% limit.

Other questions concern the funding for the government’s Family Measures Package and which commitments could be carried over to the next parliamentary term. Opposition lawmakers are also seeking explanations of proposed changes to lottery taxes, a planned reorganisation of the State Tax Inspectorate and expected layoffs of long-serving staff.

They have also asked Valys to assess what he has achieved during his three months in office, after presidential office representatives described him as someone able to take an “unconventional approach” to public finances.