Business development

District of Anyksciai Business Environment

The biggest part of the enterprises functioning in Anyksciai district consists of small and medium businesses (SMB) among which 229 or 63% of all district’s enterprises are micro enterprises which have ten or less employees. Meanwhile, there is only one big enterprise which has 250 employees or more. Anyksciai district enterprises constituted 18.38% of all enterprises functioning in Utena county in 2007. According to this criterion, Anyksciai district yields only to Utena district, and significantly surpasses other county districts, such as: Ignalina, Moletai, Visaginas, Zarasai district municipalities.

72% of all enterprises registered in the district are small and medium enterprises. According to Lithuanian Department of Statistics data there were 231 individual companies, 113 closed joint stock companies, 81 associations, 29 municipal budget entities, 10 state budget entities, 9 public institutions and 27 other legal type institutions in 2007.

The number of economic entities is increasing regularly, the extent of sold industrial production is growing. This is attributed to the results of the largest enterprises, such as: JSC “Anyksciai Wine”, JSC “Anyksciai Copper”, closed JSC “Jara”, JSC “Anyksciai Quarts.” The main part of Anyksciai district industrial production is created using local natural resources.

Predominant economic activities of SMB entities, almost 40%, are retail and whole sales, construction material production and sales, and supply and logistics. The other types of activity are as follow: manufacturing production 14%, agriculture, forestry and fishing industry 10 percent.

Number of business enterprises per 1000 residents in Anyksciai district is one of the biggest in Utena county, except Utena district, but it is significantly lower than general Lithuanian indicator. There were on average 22 enterprises per 1000 residents in Lithuania, 18 in Utena district, 15 in Anyksciai district in 2007. Low level of businesses among other things is due to taxation system, distribution of European structural funds without taking into account regional developmental level and heavy administrative burden on business.

Capital investments from the higher developed countries acquire great significance at a time when technology has to be changed, modern services created and management skills passed on. In a market economy country’s cities and districts with well developed infrastructure and favorable geopolitical situation attract foreign investments first. Direct foreign investment in Anyksciai district is very low and up to January 1, 2007 it was only 0.6 million litas or 18 litas per person while it was 8545 litas per person in Lithuania. It was only 0.002 % of all direct foreign investments in the country and only 0.64% of all Utena county direct foreign investments. Even though foreign investment in Lithuania is increasing, in Anyksciai district foreign investment went down until 2005 and an increase was noticed only after 2006. This happens because of the tendency to consolidate foreign investment in the largest Lithuanian cities, especially, the capital, and also in such economically attractive districts as Utena. However, current long term economic development strategy until 2015 stresses that while solving regional development problems more even investment distribution in the country’s territory is unavoidable. This problem is especially urgent in Utena county.

Business support infrastructure in Anyksciai district is similar to the other country’s districts: Anyksciai Tourism and Information Center (ATIC), Anyksciai Youth Business Center, located at Ladigos  street 1-13, and Anyksciai Business and Information Center (ABIC) located at A. Baranauskas square 2, phone # (8 381) 59 089, e-mail anvic@cabletv.lt. ABIC provides free information for starting businessmen, counsels companies, prepares legal paperwork, designs business plans and investment projects, is looking for investments in both Lithuania and abroad, organizes courses, seminars for the beginner and established businessmen.