Inflexible labour and product markets also discourage innovation, deter investment and hold back productivity growth.

Regulations have a tendency to discourage innovation and stymie competition, but measuring the extent to which they do so can never be a perfect science.

Their overregulated economies discourage innovation and efficiency.

Overall, the weight of the existing historical evidence suggests that patent policies, which grant strong intellectual property rights to early generations of inventors, may discourage innovation.

This discouraged innovation and delayed the inevitable reckoning, while draining the public purse.

But low oil prices also encourage drivers to use their vehicles more, and discourage investment in more expensive, but cleaner forms of energy.

The latest dispute has raised concerns that it could discourage investment in the sector.

The asset transfer plan led to protests by some companies, which believe the move will discourage investment.

Both say they are useful, however, and they would not discourage investment in them.

The fees they charge are linked to stock market performance, while falling markets discourage investment and slow growth in the business.

The cost of the licence could have been set so as to discourage smoking by ensuring that, perhaps, only a quarter of such venues choose to afford it.

It has been shown that higher prices for cigarettes discourage smoking.

The government had been in favour of plain packaging as a way of discouraging smoking.

The countrys attempts to discourage smoking through higher taxes have instead fueled the illegal cigarette industry.

West believes that for many people the ban provided a trigger in a culture that already discouraged smoking through high cigarette prices and an advertising ban.

Insurers welcomed the move as well as the news that the small claims limit for personal injury will rise to 5,000 to discourage use of lawyers.

That would mimic congestion charging to an extent, encourage the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles and discourage use.

Recently the large curved cement steps have been dotted with metal spikes and blocks to discourage use by skateboarders.

Some publications' style sheets discourage use of the passive voice, while others encourage it.

They have warned that inaccurate information about side effects could cost lives by discouraging use.

It wouldn't matter whether it was coronavirus or seasonal flu - all care homes discourage visitors who are sick.

Erratic opening hours and the clumsy promoting of exhibits often appear designed to discourage visitors.

Some, however, argue that parking charges will discourage visitors.

Barriers discourage visitors from approaching the cliffs, which are prone to erosion and landslides.

Citations are not issued by police to owners of loud bikes, as the town wants to extend a welcome rather than discourage visitors on two wheels.