Ministry of Transport and Communications (Lithuania)

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Susisiekimo ministerija
(in Lithuanian)
Ministry overview
Formed19 November 1918; 106 years ago (1918-11-19)[1]
JurisdictionGovernment of Lithuania
HeadquartersGedimino 17, Naujamiestis,
01104 Vilnius
Employees158 permanent employees
(January 2021)[2]
Annual budget€1.088 billion (2021)[3]
Minister responsible
Websitesumin.lrv.lt
Map
54°41′16.1″N 25°16′41.3″E / 54.687806°N 25.278139°E / 54.687806; 25.278139
Headquarters

Ministry of Transport and Communications (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos susisiekimo ministerija) is a government institution in the Republic of Lithuania which coordinates the work of road, rail, air, water, transport, postal and electronic communications sector and implements the strategy and politics of state government.

History

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania was first established on 11 November 1918 and it operated until the World War II.[1] The ministry was first temporarily headed by the then Minister of Finance Martynas Yčas (1885–1941). When Lithuania regained its independence the new Government was formed on 22 March 1990, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications was re-established as well. From the very first days of its activities the most important tasks of the Ministry included taking over of the transport sector from the subordination of all-union ministries, creation of new transport strategy and legal system, integration of the Lithuanian transport sector into the European transport network.

Ministers

  Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania   Homeland Union   Liberal Movement   Liberal Union   Social Democratic Party   Independent

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Term Minister Party Cabinet Office
Start date End date Time in office
1 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Prunskienė 17 January 1990 10 January 1991 358 days
2 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Šimėnas 10 January 1991 13 January 1991 3 days
3 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Vagnorius 13 January 1991 21 July 1992 1 year, 190 days
4 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Abišala 21 July 1992 17 December 1992 149 days
5 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Lubys 17 December 1992 31 March 1993 104 days
6 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Šleževičius 31 March 1993 19 March 1996 2 years, 354 days
7 Jonas Biržiškis
(born 1932) 		Independent Stankevičius 19 March 1996 10 December 1996 266 days
8 Algis Žvaliauskas
(born 1955) 		Homeland Union Vagnorius 10 December 1996 25 November 1998 1 year, 350 days
9 Rimantas Didžiokas
(born 1953) 		Homeland Union 6 January 1999 10 June 1999 155 days
10 Rimantas Didžiokas
(born 1953) 		Homeland Union Paksas 10 June 1999 11 November 1999 154 days
11 Rimantas Didžiokas
(born 1953) 		Homeland Union Kubilius 11 November 1999 9 November 2000 364 days
12 Gintaras Striaukas
(born 1960) 		Liberal Union Paksas 9 November 2000 24 January 2001 76 days
13 Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas
(born 1952) 		Liberal Union 24 January 2001 12 July 2001 169 days
14 Zigmantas Balčytis
(born 1953) 		Social Democratic Party Brazauskas 12 July 2001 14 December 2004 3 years, 155 days
15 Zigmantas Balčytis
(born 1953) 		Social Democratic Party Brazauskas 14 December 2004 14 May 2005 151 days
16 Petras Čėsna
(born 1945) 		Social Democratic Party 10 June 2005 18 July 2006 1 year, 38 days
17 Algirdas Butkevičius
(born 1958) 		Social Democratic Party Kirkilas 18 July 2006 27 May 2008 1 year, 314 days
18 Eligijus Masiulis
(born 1974) 		Liberal Movement Kubilius 9 December 2008 13 December 2012 4 years, 4 days
19 Rimantas Sinkevičius
(born 1952) 		Social Democratic Party Butkevičius 13 December 2012 13 December 2016 4 years, 0 days
20 Rokas Masiulis
(born 1969) 		Independent Skvernelis 13 December 2016 7 August 2019 2 years, 237 days
21 Jaroslav Narkevič
(born 1962) 		Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania 7 August 2019 11 December 2020 1 year, 126 days
22 Marius Skuodis
(born 1985) 		Independent Šimonytė 11 December 2020 Incumbent 4 years, 12 days

Role and responsibilities

The Ministry seeks:

  • to fulfil the requirements of European Union legislation in the areas of transport, post and electronic communications;
  • to modernize the transport infrastructure;
  • to integrate the main highways of the country into the trans-European networks;
  • to enable the development of transport business, transparent competition;
  • to improve transport and communication service quality;
  • to promote multimodal transport, logistics centers, public setting;
  • to coordinate activities in the areas of transport, post and electronic communications;
  • to take part in the development of the traffic safety policy for all modes of transport;
  • to take part in the development of the policy on the reduction of negative environmental impacts of transport areas.

The most important transport and communication infrastructure development projects

Construction of the first Rail Baltica rail. May 2010
Reconstruction oj Jakai roundabout. Building process of the longest overhead road in Lithuania. 2010 April.

Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).European gauge railway is going to link Helsinki and Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas and Warsaw. The project is funded by the European Union's TEN-T, the Cohesion Fund and the Lithuanian State, started in 2010.

Via Baltica is known as a part of the European route E67 between Warsaw and Tallinn. International Via Baltica project is helping to create better traffic conditions between the Central, Western Europe and Baltic countries.

RAIN – the project of developing the broadband Internet in all rural areas of the country. This project will be completed in 2013. The project goal is to provide broadband access to all rural districts of public administrations, hospitals, laboratories, schools, museums, libraries, public Internet access points.

MEZON 4G Internet, acting on the basis of advanced wireless technologies, providing extremely high speed (download speed - up to 10 Mbit/s). MEZON Internet operates in 53 cities and towns, it is available for about 60 percent of Lithuania's population. It is planned next year to allow MEZON mobile Internet access across the densely populated territory of Lithuania.

Dredging of Klaipėda state sea port basin, construction and reconstruction of embankments (2004–2010), improving facilities of freight and passenger service.

Reconstruction of Sventoji Port. Started in 2010. The port is going to maintain recreational, small, sport, fishing boats, small sea cruise and passenger ships.

Construction of deep-water port in Klaipėda (planned).

Reconstruction of Jakai roundabout (2010, completed the first stage of reconstruction). 4-lane overhead road is linking Kaunas and Klaipėda directions.

Reconstruction of Railway tunnel in Kaunas (2008)

Modernization of Kena border railway statio (2008)

Institutions under the Ministry of Transport and Communications

  • State Road Transport Inspectorate
  • State Railway Inspectorate
  • Lithuanian Road Administration
  • Directorate of border crossing infrastructure
  • Information Society Development Committee

Institutions and Enterprises under the regulation of the Ministry

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Lietuvos transporto istorija" [Transport history of Lithuania]. Ministry of Transport and Communications (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  2. ^ Lietuvos Respublikos Susisiekimo ministerija employees (insured) on January 6th, 2021
  3. ^ Lithuanian budget for 2021
  • REGULATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA. [1]