AS VALMIERAS STIKLA ŠĶIEDRA received an award from the State Revenue Service as the largest taxpayer in the large taxpayer category in the Vidzeme region in 2021.
The award was presented to Stefan Jugel, AS VALMIERAS STIKLA ŠĶIEDRA Chairman of the Board, by Ieva Jaunzeme, CEO of the State Revenue Service. ‘We would like to thank you for your work and for continuing traditions while being innovative and open to the world despite all the challenges,’ said Ieva Jaunzeme.
This year, the largest taxpayers also received specially designed awards that are visually designed to symbolise growth and life. They depict a flourishing tree which needs deep roots, a connection to the earth’s life force to grow, and the desire and ability to reach for the skies and beyond the horizon to build its strength. The tree was chosen for the design of the award as a symbol of entrepreneurial and sustainable economy, marking the path from a new business idea to its successful implementation and development that contributes to the country’s overall economy and welfare.
SRS CEO Ieva Jaunzeme noted that this award is an expression of gratitude from the state for the company’s contribution to payment of teacher salaries, improvement of social welfare, strengthening national defence and other essential needs. ‘It is important that companies which can make products with high added value and export these product to countries all over the world are developing and growing in Latvia,’ added I. Jaunzeme.
In 2021, with an average of 1,146 employees, AS VALMIERAS STIKLA ŠĶIEDRA paid EUR 11.9 million in taxes. The average salary in the company in 2021 was almost 50% higher than the Vidzeme average, not to mention other employee benefits, from additional days off to support for family events, sports, recreation, etc. In 2021, the company paid more than EUR 1.5 million in additional benefits to its employees.
‘In first months of 2022, we all - both as individuals and as a business - felt the impact of surging prices in almost all spheres. It is a situation we need to respond to and monitor very closely. So we responded and paid all our employees a monthly petrol benefit for three months. As of June, we raised all wages in production by 7.5% and plan another 3% increase in March 2023 to achieve a historically high cumulative pay rise of 10.5%. In recent years, we have been thinking a lot about how we treat our employees. The opinions and welfare of our employees are important. In 2021, we invested around EUR 90,000 in upgrades and improvements of our workplaces and break rooms,’ noted Stefan Jugel, AS VALMIERAS STIKLA ŠĶIEDRA Chairman of the Board.