Prime Minister rejects calls to sack finance minister
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Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has declared the government stable, informing critics in both the opposition and his own coalition that Finance Minister Taurimas Valys retains his trust. The endorsement comes as the ministry prepares to adjust tax rates and find ways to expand the budget, though Sinkevičius promised that any new taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling will not be introduced in a hurry.
The political tension coincides with a more sober economic outlook. Local economists have begun expressing concern that the country's 'golden age' of growth is ending, pointing to a housing market where forecasts now suggest a decline in affordability. While wholesale leaders still plan to expand, they are doing so while citing a growing list of threats to the bottom line.
Elsewhere, teachers are facing a new set of regulations and 'strict limits' on their duties. At the border, guards turned back 31 people attempting to enter from Belarus, and the foreign ministry issued a brief update on citizens currently missing in Iran.