Private enterprise

Remigijus Šimašius testified on the draft law on company names before the parliamentary Economic Committee, June 16 and 21. He criticised restrictions imposed on the use of the country's name by companies, arguing that Lithuania, just like other geographical designations, is not anyone's private property. LFMI's position was cited in the June 17 Verslo Žinios.

As part of LFMI's extensive campaign against the mandatory minimum wage, Remigijus Šimašius commented on the implications of a planned increase in the minimum wage in the June 29 Verslo Žinios. On June 30 the government voted against the planned hike and postponed the debates until late-1999.

In a press release of July 7 LFMI came out in opposition to the official plans to forbid people without pharmaceutical qualifications to own drugstores. It was noted that this prohibition contravenes people's constitutional rights and consumer interests. The press release was disseminated by the ELTA and BNS news agencies. Ugnius Trumpa was quoted in the July 13 Lietuvos Žinios.

The results of LFMI's survey of barriers to business growth were cited in The Baltic Times, July 29 - August 4.

Fiscal Policy

In a press release of July 14 LFMI urged the government to fulfil its promise and to remove the corporate income tax as of the year 2000. This was a reaction to the government's intentions to call off the reform. LFMI's position was presented in the July 15 Respublika and July 19 Verslo Žinios. Rūta Vainienė analysed the defects of the corporate income tax in the June 19 Respublika daily, June 7 Mokesčių Žinios, and on the LNK television, June 15. An article by Elena Leontjeva about the myths of corporate taxation was published in the July 21 Respublika.

After intense policy debates the government decided September 17 not to introduce the real estate tax for individuals. In April, LFMI had submitted to the government and other authorities a policy paper, outlining the defects and implications of the real estate tax. In addition to LFMI's earlier dissemination activities, Rūta Vainienė addressed the issue in the July 26 Respublika, July 23 Verslo Žinios, and on the Lithuanian Radio July 7.

Ugnius Trumpa commented on the government's announcement of budget cuts in the June 25 Atgimimas.

LFMI held a press conference June 15 to present the results of a third survey of macroeconomic variables in Lithuania. The event received an extensive coverage in mass media, including Lietuvos Aidas, Verslo Žinios, Kauno Diena, The Baltic Times, Litovskij Kurier, the Lithuanian Television, and LNK television. Guoda Steponavičienė and Ramūnas Vilpišauskas spoke about the survey on the Lithuanian Radio. An interview with Elena Leontjeva appeared in the June 15 Respublika.

LFMI criticized the official middle-term economic strategy prepared in the context of European integration in a press release of June 9. LFMI's position was featured in the June 10 Verslo Žinios. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas commented on the strategy in the Atgimimas, June 11.

Rūta Vainienė commented on recent developments in the monetary policy on the Lithuanian Radio, July 9. LFMI's position on the currency board arrangement was mentioned in the June 15 Veidas journal. Elena Leontjeva was cited about the national currency in the June 24 Respublika and June 18 Atgimimas.

An interview with Elena Leontjeva about the economic reforms in Lithuania was published in the July 22 Veidas journal. In an article published in the July 28 Respublika Elena Leontjeva looked at dairy market regulations and proposed reforms to deregulate the system.

Audronė Morkūnienė elucidated the pension fund legislation in the June 7 Mokesčių Žinios weekly.

Lithuania in the World No 3 published an article about the Lithuanian economy authored by Rūta Vainienė and Ramūnas Vilpišauskas.

Remigijus Šimašius commented on the weaknesses in the functioning legislation on charity and donations in the June 24 Verslo Žinios.