Robert Chovanculiak

Analyst at the INESS. He joined INESS after a previous collaboration in 2015. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, where he also completed postgraduate studies at the Department of Public Economics. He has previous work experience as an analyst at the National Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. He is currently also a research fellow at the CEVRO Institute in Prague. His research focuses on the functioning of the public sector, internet technologies and education

Think Tank News

New Book by INESS: Progress without Permission

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / December 19, 2019

If you are one of those fascinated by the Internet and its influence on the society, this is the book for you. Progress without Permission is a complete guide to the world where Airbnb rescues the dead capital and it competes with the state in the regulation making process.

Economy

Minimum Wage in Slovakia Going Wild

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / September 18, 2019

In Slovakia, the minimum wage has become a political evergreen of every autumn. However, its growth has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Moreover, the former Slovak prime minister has proposed a new law, which will set the minimum wage at 60% of an average wage of the previous year.

Economy

Slovak Massacre by Minimum Wage

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / April 2, 2019

The ruling politicians are unfortunately going in the opposite direction. While a person working for a minimum wage in 2015 paid 29% in taxes and levies, with the planned minimum wage, they will pay more than 40% next year.

Society

Let’s Get Rid Of Free Lunch Program and Actually Help Poor Kids

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / February 15, 2019

It was late 2018, when the Slovak government approved the free lunch program for all children attending elementary schools. The supporting argument was that this measure is outreaching to poor kids who had not been targeted by previous lunch subsidies.

Economy

Lighthouse: The Most Thrilling Case in Economics

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / October 26, 2018

The history of ship navigation on the shores of England shows us that when explaining events we need to take a look not only on the market failures, but also on the state failures. These played a bigger role than the textbooks\' authors might expect.

Economy

Two Faces of, and a single Punch for, Slovak Labor Market

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / July 31, 2018

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%.

Economy

How Not to Scare Off Uber and Taxify from Slovakia

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / April 17, 2018

How can Slovakia match the technologies of the 21st century with regulation, so that the opportunities will be exploited? It\'s simple. It is not rocket science or a super-secured secret. Just look at what has been done by more than half of the U.S. states.

Economy

How an Illegal Shipping Container Reshaped the World Economy

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / January 8, 2018

An example of innovation is a standardized cargo container. Today, there are more than 20 million of these containers around the globe and we move practically everything in them. This innovation from the late sixties completely changed the world.

Society

Let’s Ban Uber and Live in the Trees

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / October 1, 2017

Imagine a world in which everything has to be approved by the parliament, and only then that thing might actually happen. In such a world, there would be no innovations. In a different kind of world, things change first and the laws follow. Recently, the news that the General Advocate has advised the Court of Justice of the EU to recognize Uber as […]

Economy

Thou Shalt Not Forbid Voluntary Exchange

BY Robert Chovanculiak AND INESS / June 19, 2017

This should be the first commandment of every regulator. Or at the very least, forbidding should not be their first step. All over the world, many governments which have imposed a ban on sharing economy do not respect this rule. They shoot first and ask questions later.