More than 70 catering and accommodation companies have already gone bankrupt this year, and more than 300 new ones have been registered

In the first 10 months of this year, 74 catering and accommodation establishments went bankrupt, six more than in the whole of last year, while more than 300 new businesses were established, according to the data of the Audit, Accounting, Asset Valuation and Insolvency Management Service and the Centre of Registers.

According to the report, 26 companies went bankrupt in the first quarter of the year, 23 in the second quarter, 20 in the third quarter and 5 more at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

„Increased VAT, increased minimum monthly wage, expiring deadlines for the payment of debts postponed during the pandemic – these are the most important reasons for the withdrawal of catering establishments from the market, “ said Saulius Žilinskas, director of „Creditreform Lietuva“ in the report.

„Interestingly, the main initiators of bankruptcies are not the traditionally very active State Tax Inspectorate (STI) or the „Sodra“, but rather the managers of the companies themselves. It is they who have initiated the bankruptcy of 41 companies, „Sodra“ „ 17, VMI &bdash; eight. By the way, last year managers had initiated 28 bankruptcies, „Sodra“ – 19, and VMI – 10“, – explained S. Žilinskas.

24 catering establishments went bankrupt this year in Vilnius, 15 in Kaunas, 6 in Klaipėda. Three companies went bankrupt in resorts: one each in Palanga, Birštonas and Neringa. In Druskininkai, no bankruptcies were recorded.

Data from the Centre of Registers show that in January-October, 135 new catering and accommodation companies were registered in Vilnius, 51 in Kaunas and 21 in Klaipėda.

In addition, 11 new enterprises were registered in Palanga, five in Neringa and two in Druskininkai this year.

At the beginning of November, 159 new enterprises already had a staff, and all of them employ 955 workers, the report said.