LFMI hosted international libertarian forum

On July 6-10 libertarian economists, philosophers, politicians, academics and journalists from 15 countries gathered at an international conference “Toward Liberty: Turning Principles into Reality” in Vilnius. The event was organised by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI), the International Society for Individual Liberty, U.S.A., and the Libertarian International, organisation of Europe’s libertarians. Lithuanian weekly Veidas was an information supporter of the conference. The event was the 22nd annual meeting of libertarians from different parts of the globe, people of different interests and backgrounds, all of whom are united by the ideas of individual liberty.

The conference focused on the following issues: why totalitarian states survive nowadays, whether apparatchik economics is already the past or still the future, how we should call the European Union - the four freedoms or super leviathan, whether globalization is needed for the world, and what are the prospects and problems for freedom in non-western societies. It also addressed the issue of liberty and war with a special focus on what kind of order the US government is trying to implement around the world today and an impressive number of other topics.

One of the conference days was dedicated to explore the history of oppression. Participants visited the Grutas Park (Stalin’s world), the only place in the world where an astounding amount of Soviet sculptures and other symbols have been turned into an open air museum, constructed like a Soviet lager for political dissidents.

Among recognised international speakers were Mr. Hans Hermann Hoppe, a famous American-German philosopher; Mr. Jurij Maltsev, a former advisor to the M. Gorbachev Government and currently professor of economics at Carthage College in Wisconsin; Mr. Jaroslav Romanchuk, the Vice President of the official opposition party of Belarus; Mr. Jan Narveson, a famous Canadian philosopher; Ms. Elena Leontjeva, the Chair of LFMI’s Board, LFMI’s Senior Policy Analysts Mr. Remigijus Simasius and Mr. Ramunas Vilpisauskas, Lithuanian philosopher Mr. Algirdas Degutis, and other truly prominent speakers and panellists.

Annual libertarian forums have played a vital role in facilitating the growth of the world liberty movement. Since 1982, they have been held in most Western European as well as in some former communist countries (Russia, Estonia and the Czech Republic). Other events took place in Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada and South Africa.

Improving construction business rules in Lithuania

On June 19 Lithuanian policy analysts, builders and government representatives gathered at a conference “Time to Strengthen the Legal Basis of the Construction Business in Lithuania: Public Procurement and Regulations in Construction” to discuss and find ways how to make construction rules and public procurement procedures clear and transparent and adapt them to the modern construction business. The event was organized by LFMI and the company Skanska Statyba.

According to LFMI senior policy analyst Remigijus Simasius, even though the number of construction projects is increasing in Lithuania and the business is developing rapidly, modern construction is often distorted by existing regulations. “Unfortunately the rules are not clear yet and the opinion of particular individuals in government positions determines where, what and how things can be built. Innovations in organizing construction face regulatory barriers; public procurements do not allow transparency and set a bad tone for the legal environment in the whole construction market,” he believes.

The difficulties, challenges and organizational innovations of the construction business were discussed at the conference. Industry participants discussed the problems they face when selling their services to the government, and representatives of state institutions examined public construction procurement from the customer’s point of view. The question of whether it is necessary to regulate the construction business in detail was one topic of the conference. Policy analysts presented innovations that builders can look forward to after accession to the European Union and analyze the need for improvements and simplification of public procurement regulations.

On May 3 Lithuania celebrated Tax Freedom Day

LFMI has calculated that in 2003 Tax Freedom Day fell on May 3. This year the average Lithuanian taxpayer had to work 122 days to pay the total tax bill imposed by all levels of government. LFMI started the tradition of commemorating Tax Freedom Day in Lithuania in 1993. Since 1993, when the Lithuanian taxpayers turned to the government everything they earned until April 13, Tax Freedom Day has moved later in the calendar. Starting from 2001, Tax Freedom Day comes earlier every year: on May 15 in 2001 and on May 4 in 2002. But, in LFMI’s opinion, Lithuanians didn’t start paying fewer taxes. Quite the contrary. The financing of the state grew markedly in absolute terms, but a juicy growth of GDP alleviated the tax burden in relative terms. And although the growth of GDP build preconditions to lower the tax burden in Lithuania, the advantages of the strengthening economy were used to benefit the budget rather than the people.