Lithuania is developing a special app that will allow companies and citizens to donate to the country’s defense.

LRT reported on this.

It is noted that this was a joint effort of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance.

According to Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas, the program will be developed using “internal resources.”

“We will probably be able to launch the app by the end of the summer. The possibility of donating is legally available, everything is settled, and we are already working on how to make it available to the public as soon as possible,” Kasčiūnas told LRT TV.

The app will allow companies and individuals to make voluntary and regular donations to the country’s defense.

“People will be able to set up recurring payments as well as one-time payments, and they will be able to do it more easily, as is the case with various non-governmental organizations working with Ukraine,” Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė said in an interview with the TV channel.

In early June, the Lithuanian government rejected a proposal by Vytautas Mitalas, the Deputy Speaker of the Seimas from the liberal Freedom Party, and nearly 30 other lawmakers to allow citizens and businesses to voluntarily support national defense through monthly or one-time donations.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance said that the government would propose its own measures to allow companies and citizens to make voluntary and regular donations to defense.

Skaistė also noted that the military already had beneficiary status and could accept donations. And the Ministries of Finance and Defense are considering creating a special webpage to provide information on the income of the planned defense fund and the possibility for individuals to make donations to national defense.

As previously reported, in June, the Lithuanian parliament adopted a military service reform that provides for conscription immediately after graduation.

Also, the Lithuanian government will allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP to support Ukraine’s security and defense.