A working group of SCCL Member companies, consisting of KG Knutsson, SLT Industrial Components, Baltic Amadeus, SynoInt, Volvo Trucks Lietuva, Nordgain, Scania Lietuva and led by the Managing Partner at WALLESS Dovile Burgiene, have submitted a list of business suggestions on behalf of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania to the Lithuanian Parliament and Government leaders, including the suggestion of introducing government subsidies for rent of commercial property, one-time "go-digital" grants as well as the possibility to offer digital competence development trainings for laid-off employees, while keeping the subsidies for lay-offs. The full document can be downloaded here. Anyone who would like to join the working group is welcome to contact the Managing Director of SCCL Jone Sestakauskaite, jone@swedish.lt or tel. +370 673 27803.

The special edition of Business Sweden Global Economic Outlook outlines the measures being taken across the world to curb the spread of the coronavirus and assesses both immediate impacts on Swedish exports as well as long-term consequences for the economy. The report highlights the domino effects of the crisis, ranging from supply chain disruption and reduced household consumption to the threat of soaring unemployment in Sweden’s key export markets. It also outlines the options that exporting companies must now consider. Find the full report here.

The overall objective of the Swedish Government’s efforts is to reduce the pace of the COVID-19 virus’s spread: to ‘flatten the curve’ so that large numbers of people do not become ill at the same time. According to Prime Minister Stefas Löfven, "Every person in Sweden needs to take individual responsibility. If everyone takes responsibility, we can keep the spread of the virus in  check".

According to Andreas Hatzigeorgiou, CEO at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, who appeared on the Marketplace Morning Report, the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on businesses in Sweden are dramatic. However, the economic situation could have been worse if the Swedish approach had been more similar to other countries with a complete lockdown. It is a huge advantage that Sweden is highly digitalized, which also limits the negative impacts of the coronavirus crisis. Listen to the interview (in English) here.

The nationwide quarantine in Lithuania is extended until April 27th. It is still possible for Swedes to go from Lithuania to Sweden by ferry from Klaipeda. All the updates on the travel restrictions between Lithuania and Sweden can be found on the homepage of the Embassy of Sweden in Lithuania.

The Nordic Council of Ministers in partnership with GovTech venture company PUBLIC initiated a new free-to-access platform NordicBaltic.tech where governmental organisations and digital entrepreneurs can find each other, and showcase tech initiatives across the Nordic-Baltic region as responses to the Corona crisis. The focus is on knowledge-sharing and collaboration between public and private sector innovators. This platform is updated regularly with an overview of cross-sector initiatives, regional partnerships, and case studies of potential solutions.

Being a Member of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania is an effective way of establishing new business contacts, building networks and staying informed about Swedish-Lithuanian business. 
The Chamber has five membership categories for legal entities and two types of membership for individuals.