The company that created the scandalous advertisement about Vilnius has impressive salaries: the municipality allocates 11 million to them. euros

The journalists of the TV3 show “Top 3” learned more about this company.

Every year, the Vilnius municipality allocates 11 million euros for the maintenance of GO Vilnius. The money is allocated to promote Vilnius.

“I wonder if these people are needed at all, when we have 7 or 8 full-time positions in the administration of the Vilnius City Municipality who work with communication and advertising,” asks Aleksandras Nemunaitis, a member of the Vilnius City Council.

It turns out that in this self-governed company you can get a salary of 2 to 6 thousand euros and only show up for work a few times a week.

“If you go to those premises during the day, you would probably find those 56 people there. In their place, I think, you would find much fewer people”, assures A. Nemunaitis.

The head of GO Vilnius, Dovilė Aleksandravičienė, explains that the company’s employees work in a hybrid model.

“Our organization uses a hybrid work model, we come to work compulsorily 3 times a week, 2 days can be worked from home. Today is the day when we have employees, but certainly not a full office”, says D. Aleksandravičienė.

That incomplete office is located in a prestigious office location in Vilnius – Vilnius Gate. A few hundred square meters of space in rental ads costs about 2-3 thousand euros per month.

“When all the employees come to work – on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – all the rooms and all the workplaces are occupied,” says D. Aleksandravičienė.

Claims that they give the company too much money

Šarūnas Jasiukevičius, who has been working in the advertising and communication business for many years, shrugs his shoulders – for 11 million a year, he could advertise and create clips not only about Vilnius, but also Kaunas, Klaipėda, Raseinius and almost all of Lithuania. Because this, he says, is fantastic money.

“Basically, Google could buy advertising for 11 million euros and many more people would come, and that could be managed by one person,” says Š. Jasiukevičius.

Vilnius council member A. Nemunaitis suspects that “Go Vilnius” is a party shelter for its own people. Generally speaking, when an acquaintance or friend needs a job, that job takes over and becomes available.

“There are rumors that it can be like a separate harbor for loyal members of the ruling parties,” A. Nemunaitis shares the rumours.

But Dovilė Aleksandravičienė, the head of Go Vilnius, rejects such accusations, saying that the institution she leads is not a party office, but an institution of professional employees.

“I don’t belong to any party myself. I have no information about how many employees belong to which party. We are free democratic people, anything can happen”, says D. Aleksandravičienė.

Out of 56 employees, 50 are managers

56 “Go Vilnius” professionals are paid salaries of 2.5 million euros per year.

“If the Vilnius municipality were to allocate such an amount to an advertising agency, it would be one of the largest advertising clients in Lithuania, compared to private companies,” says A. Nemunaitis.

“Regarding the salary table, which is now wandering in the public space, it can be seen that there are 46 managers and only a few employees,” explains Š. Jasiukevičius adds, “It’s hard for me to understand how a person gets a job and who controls him, when that video clip (the latest GO Vilnius advertisement – author’s post) is good for him.”

But that’s not the end of it – the fat salaries are sprinkled with substantial bonuses at the end of the year, and what they are is a mystery.

Bonuses can be paid at the end of the year when the goals set by the organization are achieved. They are paid if the goals are achieved. Last year, bonuses were paid to some of the employees,” says D. Aleksandravičienė.