Economy

Bulgaria\'s per capita gross domestic product in purchasing power parity terms has reached 64% of the European average in 2023. This is one of the indicators that most accurately shows convergence within the European Union, as it takes into account the differences in prices across countries and therefore gives fully comparable values.

The full-scale invasion has become the most exhausting challenge for Ukraine’s economy. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian business sector with strong medium-sized private enterprises has demonstrated outstanding resilience despite economic downfall, missile and drone attacks, and electricity outages. The IER research asserts that in the last two decades, Ukraine has grown a new private sector that secures Ukraine’s resistance.

Recently, relations between Ukraine and Poland can hardly be called good and neighborly. However, many things unite these countries, not divide. For example, cooperation in the energy sector. We discussed this at our first Ukrainian-Polish discussion within the framework of the \"Ukrainian Path to European Union. Polish Accession Experience\" project.

Amid full-scale Russian military aggression, Ukrainian businesses have showcased remarkable resilience, buoyed by enduring optimism even as uncertainty clouds the horizon. This sentiment emerges from the monthly surveys conducted by the Institute of Economic Research and Political Consultations (IER), providing valuable insights into the ever-changing landscape of business activity in times of war.

A global minimum tax model will reduce tax competition and put companies in a race for public subsidies. The idea of a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for multinational groups, floating around in international platforms since 2013, has been implemented from the beginning of this year. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development agreed on a new tax regime in 2021, followed a year later by the European Commission.

March 7, 2024, marks a significant date for the European Union and, potentially, the global digital landscape. A completely new set of rules for controlling competition will be fully applied. The Digital Market Act (DMA) reaches its final implementation milestone, aiming to create \"fair digital markets\" within the EU by curbing the influence of major tech companies.

While we import almost 3 million tons of green beans into the EU every year, we only import around 80,000 tons of roasted beans. The price of unroasted coffee on the exchange is usually between 40 and 120 CZK/kg (select unroasted coffee can be bought wholesale for around 250 CZK/kg, but prices can rise dramatically here). 

The benefits of cash over card payments are that the government has less control over your finances. There is no chance of data mining.

The number thirteen is commonly recognized as an unlucky number. But for Hungarian businesspeople, the preceding number is worse, as the 12th is the deadline for paying taxes.

Just as the protagonist of Shakespeare\'s drama gains the courage to take on justice in the course of the play, too must human agency and responsibility win in each of our inner struggles. This is the only way to ensure the sustainability of the pension system by reducing upward pressure on state benefits and allowing people themselves to recover a larger share of their incomes at a time when there will be no active sources of income at all.