Mankind has made unbelievable progress in the last one hundred years. From horse carriages to moon landings, from typhus epidemics to molecular genetics, from conservative patriarchate to gay marriages. One thing does not change though – the suspicion, or even hate towards merchants. There has been a growing tide of political action against retail chains…
The Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS) first introduced its Bureaucracy Index in Slovakia in 2016 to draw the attention to the amount of red tape a small entrepreneur has to overcome on a daily basis just to do business. The index is based on a straightforward methodology, using an analysis of a model company (micro-company with…
Not many things are as exciting to economists as a famous debate about lighthouses in England. These have long served as a fine example of a public good that needs to be provided by the state. The idea of a trader selling light from the lighthouse sounds ridiculously. Try to imagine such a trader sailing towards every…
Bureaucracy Index was introduced in Slovakia in 2016 by INESS – Institute of Economic and Social Studies, to draw the attention to the amount of red tape a small entrepreneur has to overcome on a daily basis. It is based on a straightforward methodology, using an analysis of a model company (micro company with 4…
This was perhaps the motto for Axel Voss, the EU's copyright rapporteur, who was in charge of preparation and submission of the new European directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market. This is possibly also one of many answers to the question: why are none of these technological giants, like Google, Facebook, Amazon and…
The most important figure of the Slovak economy in the last 5 years has been the trend in unemployment. This rate had been decreasing since the first quarter of 2013 and had dropped to almost a half in the first quarter of 2018. The unemployment rate fell from more than 14% to nearly 7%. This positive…
There were over 400,000 distrains recorded in Slovakia in 2017. New websites and organizations have emerged to help people in debt. A vast majority of people do not know how much taxes they pay or how much public services cost. We know when historical battles took place, we memorize capital cities, we are capable of reciting…
INESS has been organizing the Free Market Road Show, an international conference, for a number of years. It is a series of conferences, organized across Europe, from Scandinavia to Montenegro, from Spain to Ukraine. The event found its way to Bratislava in 2018 again and brought topics stirring the public at home and abroad. The Slovak part…
Sharing economy platforms, like Uber and Taxify, present a new opportunity. The opportunity for people with cars who can make some extra money instead of watching their favorite reality show on TV. The opportunity for people who want a cheaper and more comfortable ride on Friday night. The opportunity for city parking policy, for public…
Slovak politicians are full of talks about competitiveness and improving business environment. However, when it comes to action, they oppose even the most trivial and costless improvements. In Slovakia, a self-employed person, or a company, have to start paying quarterly advanced income tax payments once they reach the EUR 2,500 annual tax threshold. If they reach…
While the business environment is the domain of the Ministry of Economy in Slovakia, the Act on inappropriate conditions in trade relations is the domain of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This government institution lists among its goals the support of Slovak agricultural production. Except their heavy subsidizing under EU common agricultural policy, it…
The eighth year of the Seminar on Austrian Economics organized by INESS was now traditionally held in the Mojmírovce manor on March 15th to 18th, 2018. Here, 29 students from various universities from all around Slovakia and the Czech Republic got together. The first evening started with a short welcoming economic quiz held by the…
