nep-cis New Economics Papers
on Confederation of Independent States
Issue of 2018‒12‒17
eight papers chosen by



  1. Shock contagion, asset quality and lending behavior By Pham, Tho; Talavera, Oleksandr; Tsapin, Andriy
  2. Commercialization of the scientific developments on the example of the projects implementation in small energy By Yury Dubinin; Ekaterina Dubinina
  3. The drivers of regional growth in Russia: A baseline model with applications By Hansjörg Blöchliger; Olivier Durand-Lasserve
  4. INNOVATIIVE DEVELOPMENT OF BELARUS IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL INDICATORS By Nina Bohdan
  5. Holding Affiliation Effects on Performance and Growth: Analysis of Ukrainian Farms By Ostapchuk, I.; Curtiss, J.; Gagalyuk, T.
  6. Tax Incentives and Agricultural Productivity Growth in Ukraine By Nivievskyi, O.
  7. The Results of Global Goods and Services Trade Development in 2017 By Pakhomov Alexander; Bagdasaryan Knyaz
  8. Threat of Internet Platforms: Facebook, Google, etc. By Alleman, James

  1. By: Pham, Tho; Talavera, Oleksandr; Tsapin, Andriy
    Abstract: This paper exploits the geopolitical conflict in Eastern Ukraine as a negative shock to banking sector and examines the shock transmission. We find that banks with more loans in the conflict areas during the pre-conflict period face a higher level of bad loans in other markets after the shock. This effect is stronger in the regional markets which are closer to the conflict zone. We also find evidence for the “flight to headquarters” effect in post-conflict lending. Specifically, while more affected banks tend to cut their credit supply, the larger contraction is observed in regional markets located farther from headquarters.
    JEL: G01 G21
    Date: 2018–11–29
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bof:bofitp:2018_021&r=cis
  2. By: Yury Dubinin (Boreskov institute of catalysis SB RAS); Ekaterina Dubinina (Boreskov institute of catalysis SB RAS)
    Abstract: A common interdisciplinary problem, characteristic for many developed and developing countries, is the problem of the demand for fundamental and applied scientific developments. In addition, on the way to introduction into the industry and the real sector of the economy, scientific developments face many obstacles, which are extremely difficult to overcome without support from the state or private business. In this paper, the experience of successful developments implementation in the field of small-scale power engineering from the point of view of interaction between sciences, the state and business is considered. As an example, the corresponding developments of the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the SB RAS (Novosibirsk, Russian Federation) were considered.
    Keywords: Commercialization, scientific developments, small energy, fluidized bed technology
    Date: 2018–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7009107&r=cis
  3. By: Hansjörg Blöchliger (OECD); Olivier Durand-Lasserve (OECD)
    Abstract: Russia is a federation of more than 80 regions spanning across a huge territory. Natural resource endowment, inherited industrial specialization, remoteness and climate conditions contribute to large regional disparities. This paper presents an empirical framework model for assessing determinants of regional growth in Russia between 2004 and 2015 with an extension to include sub-national fiscal policies. Baseline results show convergence rates of regional GDP per capita in line with the 2% “iron law of convergence” between countries. Capital investment, and public investment in particular, is a stronger driver of regional growth than in most OECD countries. Natural-resource rich regions are growing faster, and oil price shocks have little economic impact in these regions, pointing at Russia’s centralized tax and transfer system. Subnational current government expenditure is associated with lower growth and slower regional convergence, suggesting low sub-national spending efficiency. There is also weak evidence that sub-national investment yields higher returns than federal government investment. Transfers have mixed effects depending on their nature. Budget equalization grants tend to slow regional growth as they reduce incentives to improve spending efficiency. On the other hand earmarked matching grants tend to spur growth and convergence as they direct resources towards more productive spending.
    Keywords: empirical growth model, fiscal federalism, public investment, Regional convergence
    JEL: H72 O47 P25 R12 R50
    Date: 2018–12–13
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1523-en&r=cis
  4. By: Nina Bohdan (Belarus State Economic University)
    Abstract: The paper examines the innovative development of Belarus in the context of international indicators and ratings of innovation. International indicators of innovation are becoming an important tool for evaluating the effectiveness of innovation policy. Innovation policy often suffers, especially in developing countries, from an insufficient understanding of the complex phenomenon of innovation. Lack of a systemic approach to innovation leads to a lack of the emphasis on innovation based on knowledge from any source and not just on the knowledge formally created through R&D. Identified are the strengths and weaknesses of innovation policy of Belarus, as well as the problems of innovative development given the Global Innovation Index, the Innovation Union Scoreboard and Knowledge Economy Index. Developed are the new directions of innovation policy for Belarus.
    Keywords: Key words: innovation, performance of innovation development, resources of innovation, efficiency innovation, national innovation system, innovation policy.
    JEL: O31 O34 O38
    Date: 2018–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:7010408&r=cis
  5. By: Ostapchuk, I.; Curtiss, J.; Gagalyuk, T.
    Abstract: This paper aims to investigate productivity and profitability growth in the context of changing farm structure in Ukraine. We address the question of how different farm types, concretely holding enterprises and non-holdings have comparatively performed on the background of their different business strategies. We found that there are no significant differences in terms of productivity between them. Additionally, these results reveal that further research should include corporate level analysis of holdings in order to capture the effects of diversification, since internal management practices, peculiarities of organizational and governance structures as well as inter-subsidiary relationships may tangle the analysis of affiliation effects. Acknowledgement :
    Keywords: Productivity Analysis
    Date: 2018–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae18:277468&r=cis
  6. By: Nivievskyi, O.
    Abstract: In this paper we looked at how various tax incentives affected agricultural productivity growth in Ukraine. The empirical analysis was carried out using Ukraine-wide farm-level accounting data for an unbalanced panel of agricultural enterprises over the period 1995-2014. The results demonstrate that the impact of tax exemptions varies across different groups of agricultural producers and sectors. Overall, however, tax exemptions positively affect agricultural TFP growth, but they turned out to be very cost-inefficient instrument of stimulating TFP growth in agriculture. Also tax exemptions strongly undermined efficiency and productivity convergence in agriculture. Acknowledgement :
    Keywords: Productivity Analysis
    Date: 2018–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae18:277498&r=cis
  7. By: Pakhomov Alexander (Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy); Bagdasaryan Knyaz (RANEPA)
    Abstract: According to the latest projections released by the WTO, this year the global trade growth rate is going to decrease to 4.4% from its previous level of 4.7% in 2017. In its annual report, the WTO Secretariat warns that the threats voiced by the USA that it may impose duties on imports of goods from China and its other main partners in trade have probably already produced some negative impact on the global economy and international trade.
    Keywords: World Trade Organization, forecast, exports, imports, protectionism, Russian Federation
    JEL: F10 F13 F19
    Date: 2018
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gai:wpaper:wpaper-2018-329&r=cis
  8. By: Alleman, James
    Abstract: Free!! Google and Facebook!!! We all know them, what to worry about? Everything! The giants of the internet are expanding into every corner of the economy, politics and our lives. They control the majority of digital advertising; Alphabet, Google's parent, and Facebook receive more than 60 percent of digital advertising revenue (Media Buying 2017); Google controls over 90 percent of search on the web (Statcounter 2017); Facebook and Google represent 40% of consumption of digital content (Economist 2017c). Facebook dominates the social media market (Galloway 2017, p. 96); Amazon has nearly 40 percent of online Xmas sales and is destroying the traditional retail outlets (Galloway 2017, p. 28). Apple earns over 90 percent of smart phone profits, although it has less than 20 percent of the market (Galloway 2017, p. 75). This paper will examine the threat to social order and democracy posed by Facebook and Google, as well as others in the internet space. Facebook, and Google have control over what information and news we receive though "black-box" algorithms; they select what "we need." In addition, these platforms have not taken significant measures to address "fake-news", bots, trolls, or other malicious software on the internet. Indeed, they make money off the proliferation of this misinformation. For example, even by its own calculation, "Facebook has estimated that Russian content on its network, including posts and paid ads, reached 126 million Americans, around 40% of the nation's population." (Economist 2017c) Up to 60 million Facebook accounts are fake, according to its own estimate (Shane and Isaac 2017). And according to the Economist (2017c), in the United States' presidential campaign, one out of every five political messages was posted by robots (bots) on Twitter. FANGs have a business models which encourages this type of practice (Shane and Isaac 2017). These models are designed to maximize growth and maintain users. Thus, they involve easy sign up, lack of verification of authenticity; and only, reluctantly, if at all, closing accounts with significant cause (Shane and Isaac 2017, Zittrain 2014). This paper will examine these issues in depth.
    Keywords: Advertising,Antitrust Policy,Democracy,Elections,Propaganda ICT,Internet Platforms,Political Economy
    JEL: K21 L1 L2 L4 L5 L9
    Date: 2018
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:itse18:184926&r=cis

General information on the NEP project can be found at https://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.