Martin Vlachynsky

Since 2012, a member of INESS. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Administration at Masaryk University in Brno (the Czech Republic), and earned master degree on the University of Aberdeen (UK). He used to work several years as a web marketing and social networks specialist. His field of interest envelopes economic policies, regulation, and health care

Economy

Retail Chain Tax in Slovakia: Scary for the Big, Hammering the Small

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / October 29, 2018

The Slovak government’s intention is to lower the market power of large international retail chains. Unfortunately, the alleged problems are mostly made-up. Instead, the \"retail chain tax\" may end up raising the food prices and wrecking havoc in Slovak retail.

Economy

Automakers Good, Merchants Bad

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / July 18, 2018

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.

Economy

Slovak Farmers Are Entrepreneurs

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / May 22, 2018

Do not be fooled by the vast yellow fields of rapeseed in Slovakia. The agricultural sector is a zombie, living on subsidies instead of fresh brains. There are a few exceptions (like the successful tomato growers), but the overall numbers are harsh.

Economy

How Much Would a Simple Tax Reform Cost in Slovakia?

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / April 17, 2018

Paying the advanced tax in Slovakia is a bureaucratic burden, since an entrepreneur has to take care of the regular payments. But there is a bigger problem. An entrepreneur has to pay the advanced tax from her/his current income – but the payment size is set according to her/his last year’s tax.

Review #7

REVIEW #7: The Slovak State as an Entrepreneur

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND 4liberty.eu / November 6, 2017

The first 16 years of the post-1989 period in Slovakia can be described as an era of privatization. A majority of the state-owned economy was transformed into a market-oriented model, where state-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain the only key player in several sectors.

Economy

Cash Payment Restrictions: Slovak Reality

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / July 3, 2017

INESS has been one of the few opponents of the regulation. We included the abolition of the cash payment restrictions in our long-term competitiveness program Top20. Also, thanks to our advocacy, the (currently) biggest opposition party included a partial easing of the regulations (rising the EUR 5,000 limit to EUR 15,000) in its 2016 election program.

Economy

Not American, but Chinese Steelmakers Have a Problem

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / May 9, 2017

Chinese steel is a typical strawman for U.S. politicians. Employment in the U.S. steel industry fell dramatically indeed. There were around 780,000 employees in the sector in the late 1960s and the industry was producing 115 million tons of steel. Today, there are less than 100,000 employees.

Economy

Stimulated: Investment Subsidies in Slovakia

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / February 28, 2017

Most economists and politicians agree that investment subsidies break market principles. However, many consider subsidies a necessary tool in the global competition for investors and as an economic growth booster. INESS analyzed the investment subsidies granted in Slovakia during the years 2002–2016.

Economy, Politics

Managed Trade and Other Terrifying Alternatives

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / November 10, 2016

Treaties about free trade are not about free trade, but about managed trade. They are the result of thinking in the frames of the 300-years old mercantilist philosophy, which considers export to be the source of wealth and import to be the price paid for that wealth.

Think Tank News

The Success of Slovakian International Bureaucracy Day

BY Martin Vlachynsky AND INESS / October 11, 2016

INESS members took to the streets with a physical version of the annual bureaucracy load of a new company (652 pages of forms) and polled pedestrians about their view on red tape, giving red apples to the pessimists and green ones to the more positive oriented folks.