Economy & Business, Volume 13, 2019

Abstract: The economic development of a country is a continuous process in which the increase of the people’s welfare is an indicator of economic development. The main drivers of economic growth are businessmen who create products/services and pay taxes, which is expressed as an indicator of the country’s gross domestic product and balance of trade. It is in the economic interests of every country to create such a business environment that its inhabitants and investors feel a desire to establish and develop enterprises. The study narrowed the concept of business activity, analysed the dynamics of company registration and liquidation in Latvia. The research authors describe the changes of the business activity in Latvia in the period from 1991 till 2018, emphasizing the dynamics of the liquidation and the registration numbers of enterprises, the indicators of the World Bank, summarizing the government developed measures for improving the business environment and the measures planned for improving the environment as reflected in the declaration of the government approved in 2019. According to Lursoft data, the balance of registration and liquidation of Latvian enterprises has been steady negative since 2015. In January 2019 the number of liquidated enterprises reaches 60% of the total number of enterprises liquidated in 2018, thus indicating to processes with an unfavourable trend. The information about the registration and liquidation of enterprises published in Lursoft database and the positive evaluation of Doing Business ranking indicate to contrary information. In January 2019 the new government of Latvia was approved. It developed its declaration about the need for improving various industries in order to increase the business activity.