Business Digest for 20 October: Funeral Cartel, Tax Haven List and Gas Prices
Delfi Bizness's 20 October roundup covers the main business and economic news in Latvia and abroad. It mentions a funeral services cartel, changes to a tax haven list and rising energy prices.
The business section of the Latvian news portal Delfi published its daily summary of developments in business and the economy in Latvia and around the world on Tuesday, 20 October.
News from Latvia
The digest notes that Latvia produces many scientific discoveries and inventions with the potential to become internationally competitive products, but many get stuck on the way to market in what is known as the "valley of death". It also covers a funeral services cartel involving nine companies, and looks at which procurements they agreed on.
Other items: 12 defence start-ups will develop their innovations, Latvia has added new territories to its list of low-tax or no-tax jurisdictions, and Belarus has banned imports of several Latvian goods. The Port of Riga and a South Korean company have signed a memorandum on green methanol production. The Farmers' Saeima is reminding politicians of promises made before the elections, and a section of the main district heating pipeline will be rebuilt in Rēzekne.
Baltics and the world
Estonia can boast a new unicorn (a start-up valued at over a billion dollars), and food and drinks will be available on Estonian trains. The digest also asks whether Vilnius will get a metro.
Internationally, Salesforce will acquire another company, while Amazon will hire a huge number of workers for its busy season. Natural gas prices have reached a four-year high, and the Brent crude oil price is at its highest since May.
The roundup also looks at which companies are safer business partners, changes at Spice Life and a device for mining Bitcoin at home.
