There are operating commercial airports with scheduled international services at Vilnius and Kaunas. The road system is good, but border crossings may be difficult due to inadequate border facilities at checkpoints with Poland. Telecommunications have improved greatly since independence as a result of heavy investment. Lithuania had a slightly negative trade balance in 1993. The main categories of imported products are energy, vehicles for transport and machinery.
Exports consist mainly of machinery and food products.
This year, however, there are indications of improvement. The spread of private sector activity, not always reflected in national accounts statistics, is creating productive jobs and boosting consumer spending. Also, the introduction in mid-1993 of a stable national currency has stimulated investment. The government focuses its efforts on stabilizing the economy, taking measures to secure supplies of energy and other vital inputs, providing a social safety net to alleviate the worst consequences of the economic depression, and combating economic crime. It has enacted legislation providing a reasonably transparent and favorable regulatory regime for private investment.