Mannen som förändrade Estland

När Mart Laar blev premiärminister i Estland så var landet fortfarande präglat av kommunismen. Det var det inte när han lämnade över stafettpinnen:

On taking office at only 32, Laar found inflation at 1,000%, the economy frozen, with 95% state-owned and 92% of trade being eastwards to Russia. Now inflation is 2%, every state asset has been sold or is in the process of being liberated and trade with Russia is higher in volume but as a percentage of traffic it has shrunk to marginal significance. ...The aspect of the Estonian economic miracle that thrills me most is its bold implementation of a simple flat tax. All Estonians pay a rate of 20% – no exemptions, no confusions, no ambiguities. Did the Treasury in Talinn find its revenues stall? No, they increased. People ceased trying to dodge taxes; 20% is so fair few feel it isn’t reasonable. ...Laar admits there have been reversals. “We had to re-bureaucratise parts of the economy to be admitted into the European Union (EU). Our grocery prices could be far lower, for example, but for the protectionist policies of the European Commission. To join the EU was of symbolic significance but it has embraced much that is wasteful,” he says.

Läs mer här.