G38 - Corporate Finance and Governance: Government Policy and RegulationReturn

Emerging economies are consistently targeting advanced approaches to attain sustainable development while reducing their risk exposure and factors simultaneously. This research examines the influence of political risk, digitization and environmental policies, along with a set of economic and environmental factors, on the sustainable development of the BRICS economies. For the period from 1990 to 2020, the diagnostic tests confirmed a mixed order of integration. Therefore, the autoregressive distributed lag test is utilized and the results show that political risk, mineral resources and exports are harmful to sustainable development in the short run but significantly enhance sustainable development in the long run. On the other hand, environmental technologies are positively associated with sustainable development in the short run but transform into negative development in the long run. These diverse influences occur in the short and long run. The results indicate a consistent influence of digitization (positive) in both the short and long run. The long-run results are authenticated using panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). Furthermore, the panel causality test validates diverse inferences regarding the causal association between the variables. Following the empirical outcomes, we recommend policies regarding equitable implementation of digital technologies, enhanced investment in environmental and green technologies, equitable resource management and a reduction in political risk, which could stimulate sustainable development.

This study investigates whether the response of stock returns to economic policy uncertainty de- pends on the level of government size in the economy. Although there is a consensus in the liter- ature that stock markets react negatively to policy-related uncertainties, the factors that determine the magnitude of this effect have been ignored. This study is the first to demonstrate that the magnitude of this effect depends on the size of the government in the economy. In the study, data for the period 1997Q1-2021Q4 pertaining to 18 countries are used. According to results of fixed-effects estimations with Driscoll-Kraay robust standard errors, economic policy uncer- tainty affects stock returns negatively. In addition, the coefficient of interaction term formed by the variables of policy uncertainty and government size is also negative and significant. These results indicate that the negative response of stock returns to policy uncertainty grows as gov- ernment size increases. The sensitivity analysis results show that the findings are not sensitive to the estimations made by alternative approaches and are therefore robust. The findings of the study contain important implications for policymakers. Investors can also benefit from the results at the point of international asset allocation against future policy-related uncertainties.

The paper presents the volume of debts incurred as part of non-insurance social security benefits in the Czech Republic from 2016 to 2020 and defines the structure of these debts by individual types of non-insurance social security benefits, where 25% is attributable to parental allowance, followed by housing allowance (17%) and subsistence allowance (20%). The analysis deals with the number of debts broken down into paid, collected, settled by other means, written off for uncollectibility or extinction of the right. The study works with unique data obtained by summarisation from the appli-cation programmes used by the Labour Office of the Czech Republic, which showed a continuous decrease in total identified claims by 46% between 2016 and 2020. An analysis of time series and a regression and correlation analysis are performed in the paper. These methods confirm a decreasing trend in the number of total debts and a decreasing proportion of paid debts over time, in contrast to the ratio of outstanding debts, which has been increasing over time. Lastly, they also identify variability in the structure of social security benefits, i.e., inconsistency in the share of individual benefits over the period under review. Social expenditures are fundamental to state spending, but addressing their potential misuse is a sensitive political issue. From an economic perspective, this paradoxical situation leads to overlooking potential resources that could be potentially available through the elimination of purposeful exploitation of the social system, leaving the question of the frequency of purposeful claiming unanswered. Any potential political decision to reduce social expenditures, without an economic evaluation of the frequency and volume of purposefully claimed benefits from the social system, may not be optimal.

Impact of Changing Preferential Tax Rate Conditions on Czech Real Estate Investment Funds This article examines the impact of an amendment to the Income Tax Act that aimed to prevent the so-called real estate funds, whose activities bear the characteristics of ordinary business activities, from applying a preferential tax rate. Only funds whose shares are publicly traded and have the required shareholder structure could newly apply this rate. In response to the legal amendment, several real estate funds have become regular joint stock companies. Funds motivated to maintain a preferential tax rate had their securities admitted to trading. However, it was only a formal fulfilment of the conditions of the law, as the average number of shareholders controlling these funds did not change. For several funds, the shareholder structure has also changed so that they can continue to apply a preferential tax rate. In addition, most of the funds that do not meet the conditions of the Act have manipulated the length of the accounting period by purposeful transformations (mergers, divisions, etc.) in order to postpone the application of the amended wording of the Act and thus gain time for an appropriate response.

Public procurement is subject to very strict and detailed legal regulation, which generates significant transaction costs on the part of both the public and private sectors. This paper aims are to quantify the size of private transaction costs associated with participation in tenders and to identify the main factors that affect their value. The presented results are based on a survey containing 804 observations. The total value of the private transaction costs in 2012 is estimated at CZK 9 billion, which represents 1.8% of contracts value. Using regression model, we have identified factors that influence the size of transaction costs at the level of individual firms. These are relatively lower for larger contracts, supply contracts and also for more experienced companies. In contrast, higher values are found in smaller contracts, larger companies and companies that are more successful in tenders.

In this paper we focus on transfer pricing issues of SME with aim to propose a methodological tool in the form of panel-regression model estimating arm´s length EBIT margin of industry where SME is operating, which is based on the Action Plan of the European Commission to ensure fair and effective corporate taxation, fulfilling the premise of simplicity and non-increasing the administrative burden and compliance costs of taxation. As a result separate panel regression models were determined for each industry sectors and EU Member States based on the variables, such as operating revenues, payroll, added value and tangible fixed assets. Those regression factors are able to statistically significantly explain the variability in the generation of EBIT margin in case of SME in EU 28, which is often used for transfer pricing purposes. Panel regression models can be used as a simple methodological tool to estimate the arm´s length SME profitability in the industry sector and the state where is SME operating. Moreover, it is able to identify possible distortion of transfer prices if SME is not generating arm´s length EBIT margin based on the model.

In this paper we focus on transfer pricing issues of SMEs which impose relatively higher compliance costs of taxation on SMEs than on large entities which can benefit from economies of scale. Therefore, the international platforms recommend introducing the simplified transfer pricing approaches mainly for SMEs. Currently, 62% of EU Member States have implemented simplified transfer pricing measurements for them. The aim of the paper is to propose the methodical tool for SMEs in the form of safe harbours based on the arm's length profit margins in the selected industry sectors in order to reflect sectoral and size-classes differences. Further, we try to answer on the question, how wide margin is possible to apply in case of distributors if the proposed methodical tool is used and manufacturers generate different operating costs.

More than EUR 347 million from EU funds was allocated for boosting competitiveness of Czech economy during the time period from 2004 to 2006. The aim of this paper is to evaluate effects of subsidies from programme "Development", which was focused on rising small and medium company competitiveness. Method Benchmark and method Per se were created for this purpose. Analyses confirm that subsidies are drawn by companies with above average rate of competitiveness. On the other hand, competitiveness of these subsidised companies (measured by eight financial indicators) was ostensibly decreasing after drawing the subsidy. The cause for this fact can be found in Czech accounting legislation which creates a dilemma for company managers. Research results show that managers of subsidized companies have probably chosen conservative strategy - the above average EBIT (created thanks to the subsidy) hold in liquid assets and use it for necessary future reinvestment but formally worsen profi tability ratios.

This study examines the question whether uncoordinated steps of some EU states changing their deposit insurance schemes in the middle of 2008 could have led to shift of deposits among EU countries. The paper deals with changes of the rules which were introduced at the end of year 2008, and concerns with the amended Directive on Deposit Guarantee Schemes. Empirical analysis concentrates on the impact of state guarantees on the deposit grow rate in individual states. In the final part, we discuss the consequences of recent development.

The paper analyzes an important part of the institutional quality - regulation and studies relation between the regulatory environment and the bureaucratic barriers. The analysis is based on theoretical models of the comparative institutional economics. In the paper, we discuss possibilities of measurement and evaluation of regulation and bureaucracy. We compare the quality of regulatory environment in the EU-25 countries for which we construct specific index. Given principles of the good regulation we characterize basic determinants of the regulatory environment and we try to evaluate how these principles are fulfilled in countries of the EU-25. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the quality of bureaucracy. Finally, we study how the regulatory environment is related to the bureaucratic barriers.

The aim of the article is to describe theoretical concepts related to the effects of state subsidies on enterprises and to discuss the magnitude and effect of state aid on enterprises during the transformation of the Czech economy. Subsidies to enterprises during transformation were high, often transparent, and above the European Union average. During 1997-2003 registered state aid reached 362 bn. CZK. More than 90 percent of the total registered state aid went to awards the rescue and restructuring of enterprises. It can be roughly estimated that during 1997-2000 state aid was twice as high as officially registered. Share of state aid to enterprises in public debt increased and reached 70 percent by 2003. Non-transparent channels of state aid distribution decrease the efficiency of state aid, as they distort market signals and decrease motivation for fair competition.

The article deals with political risk, its definition, assessment and measuring. In the theoretical part different approaches to the definition of political risk are discussed and methodical approaches to its measuring and assessment are explained. The practical part is focused on the analysis of political risk assessment in transition countries of Europe and in countries of former Soviet Union compared to political risks in EU countries. The conclusions indicate that transition economies lag behind substantially in the areas of corruption, law observance and bureaucracy quality. For economic policy it is urgent to improve the quality of the institutional environment.