Mart Laar Synopsis
Former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar is coming to give a talk in Prague today. Mart Laar first became the Estonian Prime Minister in 1992. He was the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002. Mart's background is academic and he was a history teacher and he has written several historical books. In 2006 he won the Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty which is awarded biannually to "an individual who has made a significant contribution to advancing human freedom."
Flat Tax
In 1994 Estonia under Laar was the first country to implement a flat tax, - over time this has decreased from 26% and is planned to reach 20% by 2009. Unemployment is at 4% and along with the other Baltic Tigers, Estonia has boomed in the 21st century. Estonia is the richest of the tigers and economic growth averaged 10% in 2005 and 2006. My understanding is that he is pro-EU, but his support is pragmatic (geo-political) and not ideological.
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2 comments:
I shall be arriving in Prague on 4th March Mr PT - I trust you will have ousted the chambermaid from your bed and briefed the faithful retainer on my preferences by then?
The only argument that I can tolerate against flat tax in the UK is that it would have to be carefully implemented so that it didn't just benefit higher rate taxpayers. But that's matter of detail not principle.
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