‘Pinnacle of cynicism’ – Lithuanian firms spend pandemic subsidies on luxury cars
LRT.lt, BNS2021.05.27 17:06
Porsche cars (associative image) / AP
Nearly 150 firms in Lithuania used government subsidies, aimed at keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic, to purchase luxury cars.
Lithuania's Tax Inspectorate (VMI) has data that 148 business firms that claimed coronavirus subsidies in 2020–2021, subsequently purchased luxury cars valued at over 50,000 euros, said MP Mykolas Majauskas, chair of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee, on Thursday.
“Thirty-two of them bought Bentley, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce cars,” he told reporters.
While he did not give away the names of the firms, Majauskas cited a case where a company was included into the list of businesses affected by the pandemic, used the option to defer taxes, claimed subsidies to pay furloughed employees, received additional taxpayer support and purchased a Range Rover SUV worth over 100,000 euros.