What is the project about?

Doing Business is a comprehensive research programme aimed at building the case for needed legislative and regulatory changes and shifts in the existing regulatory practices in Lithuania. The research focuses on the following areas: dealing with licenses, getting electricity and paying taxes.

What are our goals?

• To carry out cross-country analyses to elicit Lithuania’s standing against other European countries in the categories of dealing with licenses, getting electricity and paying taxes;
• To analyse the applicable legal and regulatory framework relating to the issue of construction permits, the provision of electricity connection, and the income tax base and the payment of the payroll taxes and social security contributions;
• To analyse legal implementation and regulatory practices relating to the legislative provisions and regulations under analysis;
• To identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the legal implementation and regulatory procedures performed by executive regulatory authorities;
• To identify any flawed regulatory practices in the areas selected;
• To device policy responses for improving the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks in Lithuania.

What are our methods?

• Research on the existing legal and regulatory framework in the selected categories;
• A comparative analysis of the Lithuanian Doing Business ratings with other European countries;
• Surveys of business organizations and enterprises across Lithuania;
• Expert interviews and specialist round table discussions on the areas under analysis;
• Exploration and analysis of potential ways to improve the existing regulation.

How we are achieving the goals?

We are using our research outputs to initiate and advance well-informed and evidence-based policy debates by a variety of proactive and reactive policy advocacy measures:

• We submit our research reports, policy briefs, position papers and other research products to relevant stakeholders and provide briefings and presentations to selected stakeholder groups;
• We monitor and respond to relevant legislative and regulatory proposals;
• We follow up with meetings and briefings on key policy issues as well as participate in official sittings convened by ministries and other authorities;
• We participate in official task forces and working groups, provide sound and research-based arguments to advance changes in the selected areas.