LFMI

As many as 81% of Lithuanians find their knowledge of economics insufficient. Making economic decisions at every step of the way, Lithuanians compare their understanding of economics to that of physics or political sciences, but find themselves less confident in economics than in computer literacy or mathematics.

The Respect for Taxpayers Day becomes an official commemorative day in Lithuania to be celebrated on May 11. A recently adopted law is a result of a petition submitted by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute.

Žilvinas Šilėnas tops the list of Lithuania’s most influential opinion leaders, a market research company “Kantar TNS” announces. Reaching the audience of 37 million in the first half of 2017, Šilėnas has forged ahead the incumbent representatives of the banking sector.

After three years of decline, illegal trade in alcohol is on the increase, shows a research by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI). According to LFMI, this year the shadow economy occupied 24% of the spirits market in Lithuania, representing an increase by two-percentage points since 2015.

LFMI launches Employment Flexibility Index 2018 for the EU and OECD. The index is based on the World Bank’s Doing Business data on labor market regulation and covers a set of indicators on hiring, working hours, redundancy rules, and redundancy costs.

Politicians should ask themselves if depriving citizens of their right to choose high quality reasonably priced services while putting private businesses at a competitive disadvantage is the path Lithuania should follow.

The current social pillars are divisive, but the divide is not across the “East-West” lines or even the “liberal-socialist” lines; rather, it goes along the “reality-delusion” lines. Sadly, the proposed social pillars will not make delusional politicians to accept reality

Published in 2015 by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, the economics textbook Economics in 31 Hours has transformed the way of teaching and learning economics in Lithuania. Already in its fifth edition, the textbook has reached over 53 thousand students in 463 secondary schools and nearly 500 teachers.

Lithuania has long been praised for its rankings in the categories of starting a business, registering property, and enforcing contracts, but it has also been criticized for a heavy administrative burden and red tape pervading the areas of dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, and paying taxes.

A careful re-examination of the petition over these past two years reflects the role that an organised civil society voice can play in EU policy- and decision-making processes. It also recognises the network as an authoritative source of expertise on EU policy issues.