|
on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Dufour, Mathieu; Orhangazi, Ozgur |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we study the consequences of the 2000-2001 financial crisis in Turkey to identify the impacts of the crisis on capital and labor. We uncover three significant empirical effects of this crisis. First, international capital benefited from the crisis by both increasing its total assets in Turkey and income flows from these assets, while large domestic financial capitalists also increased their profits in the aftermath of the crisis. Second, industrial capital benefited via a repression of labor. Third, the attempt to ‘remedy’ the economy by imposing structural changes furthered the interests of capital in general. |
| Keywords: | : financial crisis; finance capital; IMF; external debt; precautionary cost; Turkey |
| JEL: | F3 F02 E6 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7837&r=cwa |
| By: | Ziya Önis (Department of Economics, Koc University); Fikret Senses (Department of Economics, METU) |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this study is to propose an analytical framework to explain the major policy shifts that has characterized post-war Turkish economic development; divided into four phases, starting respectively in 1950, 1960, 1980, and 2001. Its main contribution is to incorporate external and internal factors into this framework within a broadly political economy perspective, attaching particular significance to the role of economic crises in moving from one phase to the other. While the role of external agents is identified as the main factor behind policy shifts, the role of domestic coalitions in support of policy regime in each phase is also recognized. Drawing attention to the role of state in the impressive recent growth of countries such as China, India, and Ireland, the paper argues that there is still room for the state taking on a developmental role. The paper recommends that Turkey follows a similar path by improving state capacity not only with respect to its regulatory role but also in more developmental spheres, encompassing its redistributive and transformative role on the basis of a domestically-determined industrialization strategy. |
| Keywords: | State capacity, policy transformations, crises, multilateral institutions, distributional conflicts, regulation |
| JEL: | F53 H7 |
| Date: | 2007–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:met:wpaper:0706&r=cwa |
| By: | Saleem, Shahid |
| Abstract: | SMEs and sound financing of SMEs are latest trends in Pakistani educational and banking scenario. Although, the concept got importance during Bhutto regime of 70s, but never gained much strength especially to financial sector, until SMEDA and SME bank had not emerged during last decade. Pakistan, as we know it today, is a developing country with a GDP per capita ranking, recently shifted from Low income countries to Middle income countries, contains a lot to SMEs. Furthermore, SMEs existing in Pakistan are contributing a 30% of national GDP, 25% in export earnings, & employing about 78% of non-agricultural labor force. So, it is right time to develop and implement a sound, comprehensive, and coherent policy for all SMEs working in the country. While also right time for government, to develop a practical solution to problems and difficulties of this important, but neglected sector of the past. I want to tell you when I started analyzing this policy; I worked on following main lines, to have a critical analysis for this policy paper of SMEDA, given below: 1. I made a basic research, & studied some basic theories about global emergence/background of SMEs. 2. Then, I moved to discuss the basic introduction of SMEDA policy, my analysis of Pakistani SME sector and need for this policy, in form of quick review. 3. Then I made a critical analysis of policy objectives/scope/ principles, recommendations, implementation, & monitoring mechanisms. 4. Finally, I made a final conclusion of all above mentioned working of mine with some additional informative links, as well for my report's reader. Conclusion: After analyzing this policy paper, I think that this policy paper is not sufficient towards very complex needs and changing requirements of Pakistani SMEs, especially in its implementation part. Recently, in Pakistan we heard that hundreds of businesses have been closed due to shortage of Electricity, water, Sui gas (natural gas), or due to law and order situation (like assassination of Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi). It is also heard that every day million of assets are being transferred to Gulf countries by existing business community, in such a scenario no SME can prevail and grow with reasonable level of certainty. Moreover, economically, this policy is viable but not focused for some excellence sectors in future, like a widely acclaimed adopted one village, one product model for microfinance and SMEs, this policy shall be focused on some specific businesses and product lines, instead of forming a mass of unplanned and less cost-effective SMEs, in today world of globalization and specialization. |
| JEL: | G18 G38 |
| Date: | 2008–02–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7329&r=cwa |
| By: | Akramov, Kamiljon T.; Qureshi, Sarfraz; Birner, Regina; Khan, Bilal Hasan |
| Abstract: | "Decentralization has the potential to improve the accountability of government and lead to a more efficient provision of public services. However, accountability requires broad groups of people to participate in local government. Thus, voter turnout at local government elections is an important component of government accountability. This study used survey data on the 2005 local government elections in Pakistan to analyze the impact of electoral mechanisms, the credibility of elections, and voters' socioeconomic characteristics on voter turnout. The rational-choice perspective is applied to develop the specifications of the empirical model. The empirical analysis is based on a series of standard and multilevel random-intercept logistic models. Our important findings reveal that (1) voter turnout is strongly associated with the personal and social gratifications people derive from voting; (2) the preference-matching ability of candidates for local government positions is marginal; and (3) the introduction of direct elections of the district nazims—a key position in local government—might improve electoral participation and thus create a precondition for better local government accountability. The findings also suggest that less educated people, farmers, and rural people are more likely to vote." Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | Decentralization, local government elections, political participation, voter turnout, Public service provision, Governance, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:754&r=cwa |
| By: | Dutta, Probal; Bose, Sudipta |
| Abstract: | This research paper investigates the utilization of the Internet for communicating corporate information by the listed companies of Bangladesh.The sample for the study consists of 268 companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). Corporate websites of the sample companies were browsed by using a standard web browser for collecting data relating to corporate reporting on the Internet. The study shows that web-based corporate reporting in Bangladesh is still in its infancy. Only 38.81 percent of 268 companies have a web. A scoring scheme has been developed to measure the level of on-line corporate reporting. A wide variation in the level of on-line corporate reporting across 15 sectors has been found. The highest-ranking sector was the Banking, Leasing & Finance sector. This paper adds to the existing body of literature on on-line corporate reporting studies by exploring on-line corporate reporting practices of Bangladesh. |
| Keywords: | Corporate Reporting; Corporate Websites; Content Analysis; Listed Companies; Internet; Bangladesh. |
| JEL: | M14 M41 M1 M40 M4 M49 |
| Date: | 2007–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7915&r=cwa |
| By: | Dutta, Probal; Bose, Sudipta |
| Abstract: | In today’s corporate world, board diversity is a much talked-about topic and gender diversity is an important aspect of board diversity. Gender diversity refers to the presence of women on corporate boards of directors. In this paper, an effort has been made to examine whether an association exists between the financial performance of commercial banks in Bangladesh and presence of women on the boards of directors of these banks and in order to examine the existence of this association, a non-parametric test, namely Kruskal-Wallis H test has been conducted. But the test has yielded conflicting results at different significance levels. |
| Keywords: | Gender diversity; Board of Directors; Financial Performance and Commercial Banks. |
| JEL: | M14 M0 M41 M1 M12 |
| Date: | 2007–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7916&r=cwa |
| By: | zarrokh, ehsan |
| Abstract: | Criminal code is so important than other legal code, because its relevance to people life, honor and property. so I think if you want scrutiny develop of society you must note to its criminal law & penal procedure. In Iran we see that all of codes are based on FIGH (Islamic Rules); so it's necessary for Non-Muslim to understand SHARI'A rules, sake realizes roots of Islamic law, Punishments in criminal law are the most important ingredient of SHARI'A rules. In this paper I'm trying to pore over punishments and their reasons that state in Islamic legal books, because one of the basic sources in Islamic law is theories of Islamic jurisconsult that explain in their books and treatises. |
| Keywords: | punishment; Islamic rules; Iranian penal code; Islamic jurisconsult theories. † |
| JEL: | K14 |
| Date: | 2008–03–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7863&r=cwa |
| By: | Raj Arunachalam; Trevon Logan |
| Abstract: | This paper is the first systematic attempt to measure the existence and degree of dowry inflation in South Asia. The popular press and scholarly literature have assumed dowry inflation in South Asia for some time, and there are now a number of theoretical papers that have attempted to explain the rise of dowries in South Asia. Despite these advances, there has been no systematic study of dowry inflation. Using large-sample retrospective survey data from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, we assess the empirical evidence for dowry infllation. We find no evidence that real dowry amounts have systematically increased over time in South Asia. |
| JEL: | C1 D1 J1 O10 |
| Date: | 2008–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13905&r=cwa |
| By: | Petia Topalova |
| Abstract: | While many have celebrated India's accelerating economic growth, some have expressed concern about the distributional impacts of the growth process. Cognizant of the vulnerability of its large population below poverty, India's authorities have made faster and more inclusive economic growth the primary goal of their development strategy. This paper aims to document how the benefits of economic expansion were shared across the income distribution over the last two decades using disaggregate household level data. Experiences across Indian states suggest an important role for economic policy in shaping the inclusiveness of growth. States with higher financial development, more flexible labor markets, and higher average education experienced greater relative gains for the poor. Improving infrastructure may also lead to a growth process that is more inclusive of the poor. |
| Keywords: | Poverty , India , Economic growth , Income distribution , Labor markets , Poverty reduction , |
| Date: | 2008–03–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:08/54&r=cwa |
| By: | Singh, Nirvikar |
| Abstract: | This paper examines delivery of public health care services in India, in the broader context of decentralization. It provides an overview of the basic features and recent developments in intergovernmental fiscal relations and accountability mechanisms, and examines the implications of these institutions for the quality of public service delivery. It then addresses recent policy proposals on the public provision of health care, in the context of decentralization. Finally, it makes suggestions for reform priorities to improve public health care delivery. |
| Keywords: | federalism; decentralization; intergovernmental relations; accountability; service delivery; health care |
| JEL: | H1 H7 P35 P26 |
| Date: | 2008–03–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7869&r=cwa |
| By: | Das, Bhagaban; Shil, Nikhil Chandra; Pramanik, Alok Kumar |
| Abstract: | The importance of SMEs in any economy cannot be overlooked as they form a major chunk in the economic activity of nations. India has nearly three million SMEs, which account for almost 50 per cent of industrial output. However, SMEs which form the backbone of industrial development in India are not export competitive and contribute only about 34 percent of exports. It is this feature of the SMEs that make it an ideal target to realize its potential export competitive. Drawing from the experiences of countries that have successfully promoted the export competitiveness of SMEs, this paper has identified ways in which SMEs in India can have an access to external markets through exports, which include simplification of procedures, incentives for higher production, preferential treatments to SMEs in the market development fund, linking up SMEs with Transnational Companies or large domestic exporting firms; and formation of clusters and networks in order to reinforce their external competitiveness. |
| Keywords: | Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); SWOT Analysis; Export; India |
| JEL: | F2 |
| Date: | 2007–12–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7800&r=cwa |
| By: | Birthal, Pratap Singh; Joshi, P.K.; Roy, Devesh; Thorat, Amit |
| Abstract: | "Agricultural diversification towards high-value crops can potentially increase farm incomes, especially in a country like India where demand for high-value food products has been increasing more quickly than that for staple crops. Indian agriculture is overwhelmingly dominated by smallholders, and researchers have long debated the ability of a smallholder-dominated subsistence farm economy to diversify into riskier high-value crops. Here, we present evidence that the gradual diversification of Indian agriculture towards high-value crops exhibits a pro-smallholder bias, with smallholders playing a proportionally larger role in the cultivation of vegetables versus fruits. The observed patterns are consistent with simple comparative advantage-based production choices. The comparatively high labor endowments of the small farmers, as reflected in their greater family sizes, induce them to diversify towards vegetables. Although fruit cultivation is also labor intensive (as compared to cultivation of staples), fruits are relatively capital intensive, making them a less advantageous choice for smallholders who tend to have low capital endowments. Furthermore, both the probability of participation in fruit and vegetable cultivation as well as land allocation to horticulture decreases with the size of landholdings in India. Small or medium holders do not appear to allocate a greater share of land to fruits or vegetables. However, the share allocated to vegetables is significantly higher if the family size is bigger, while the reverse is true in the case of fruits." from Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | diversification, Smallholders, small farms, High value agriculture, |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:727&r=cwa |
| By: | Reardon, Thomas; Gulati, Ashok |
| Abstract: | "The Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) was invited by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry to conduct a study titled “The Impact of Organized Retailing on the Unorganized Retail Sector.” Because organized retail in India is still in its infancy, it was deemed critical to look at the experience of other countries, especially developing ones. Thus, ICRIER sought the assistance of Dr. Thomas Reardon and Dr. Ashok Gulati, co-directors of Markets in Asia, a joint program of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Michigan State University. ICRIER asked Reardon and Gulati to help research and report on the international experiences in the growth and expansion of modern retailing in developed and developing countries and the implications for India. This report is a contribution to that effort. This paper focuses on the emergence of modern retailing with respect to food and what implications it can have for various stakeholders in the food supply chain. While we briefly review the US and European experience, we focus on the developing countries of Latin America and East Asia (including China), where the supermarket revolution started in the early to mid-1990s. We looked at the patterns of the diffusion process in modern retailing in terms of “waves” that go from country to country, and within a country from first-tier cities to second-tier and then third-tier cities, and from processed to semiprocessed to fresh products. We also treat the challenges and opportunities that modern retailing has posed for various stakeholders in the supply chains, especially for traditional retailers, farmers, and consumers. We also looked at several instances when governments helped small retailers or upgraded wetmarkets by (1) establishing affirmative action policies to strengthen their competitiveness so they could also participate effectively in the transition to modern retailing, and (2) providing compensation to help them change their lines. The paper concludes by surmising what lessons other countries' experiences in the supermarket revolution have for India which is on the threshold of a major structural change in retailing. The expectations and concerns are high. Accordingly, India must form its own model of retail development to meet its priorities, learn from challenges that others have faced, and successful examples of strategies for “competitiveness with inclusiveness” among traditional retailers, wholesaler, and farmers entering an era of rapid retail transformation and concomitant food system change." from Author's Abstract |
| Keywords: | Supermarkets, Wholesalers, Modern retail, Small farmers, Traditional retail, Supply chains, Competitiveness, Inclusiveness, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:752&r=cwa |
| By: | Ahsan, Ahmad (World Bank); Pagés, Carmen (Inter-American Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | Using manufacturing data for India, this paper studies the economic effects of legal amendments on two types of labor laws: employment protection and labor dispute resolution legislation. We find that laws that increase employment protection or the cost of labor disputes substantially reduce registered sector employment and output. These laws do no seem to benefit workers either, as they do not increase the share of value added that goes to labor. Labor-intensive industries, such as textiles, are the hardest hit by amendments that increase employment protection while capital-intensive industries are the most affected by laws that increase the cost of labor dispute resolution. These adverse effects are not alleviated by the widespread and increasing use of contract labor, particularly in regards to employment. Results are robust to an alternative codification of legal amendments suggested by Bhattacharjea (2006). |
| Keywords: | employment protection, labor dispute resolution, contract labor, employment, India |
| JEL: | J23 J52 K31 |
| Date: | 2008–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3394&r=cwa |
| By: | Bansal, Sangeeta; Ramaswami, Bharat |
| Abstract: | "Labeling of genetically modified (GM) foods is a contentious issue and internationally, there is sharp division whether such labeling ought to be mandatory. This debate has reached India where the government has proposed mandatory labeling. In this context, this paper evaluates the optimal regulatory approach to GM food labels. Mandatory labeling aims to provide greater information and correspondingly more informed consumer choice. However, even without such laws, markets have incentives to supply labeling. So can mandatory labeling achieve outcomes different from voluntary labeling? The paper shows that this is not the case in most situations. The paper goes on to explore the special set of circumstances, where mandatory labeling makes a difference to outcomes. If these outcomes are intended, mandatory labeling is justified; otherwise not." from Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | Biotechnology Economic aspects, Genetically modified food Developing countries, Biosafety, Food labeling, |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:704&r=cwa |
| By: | Fan, Shenggen; Gulati, Ashok; Thorat, Sukhadeo |
| Abstract: | "This paper reviews the trends in government subsidies and investments in and for Indian agriculture; develops a conceptual framework and model to assess the impact of various subsidies and investments on agricultural growth and poverty reduction; and, presents several reform options with regard to re-prioritizing government spending and improving institutions and governance. There are three major findings. First, initial subsidies in credit, fertilizer, and irrigation have been crucial for small farmers to adopt new technologies. Small farms are often losers in the initial adoption stage of a new technology since prices of the agricultural products are typically being pushed down by greater supply of products from large farms, which adopted the new technology. But as more and more farmers have adopted HYV, continued subsidies have led to inefficiency of the overall economy. Second, agricultural research, education, and rural roads are the three most effective public spending items in promoting agricultural growth and poverty reduction during all periods. Finally, the trade-off between agricultural growth and poverty reduction is generally small among different types of investments. As for agricultural research, education, and infrastructure development, they have large growth impact and a large poverty reduction impact. Several policy lessons can be drawn. Agricultural input and output subsidies have proved to be unproductive, financially unsustainable, environmentally unfriendly in recent years, and contributed to increased inequality among rural Indian states. To sustain long-term growth in agricultural production, and therefore provide a long-term solution to poverty reduction, the government should cut subsidies of fertilizer, irrigation, power, and credit and increase investments in agricultural research and development, rural infrastructure, and education. Promoting nonfarm opportunities is also important. However, simply reallocating public resources is not the full solution. Reforming institutions can have an equal, if not larger, impact on future agricultural and rural growth and rural poverty reduction." from Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | Rural poverty, Agricultural growth, Public investments, subsidies, Pro-poor growth, |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:716&r=cwa |
| By: | Robert C. Allen |
| Abstract: | This paper uses the adoption and invention of the spinning jenny as a test case to understand why the industrial revolution occurred in Britain in the eighteenth century rather than in France or India. It is shown that wages were much higher relative to capital prices in Britain than in other countries. Calculation of the profitability of adopting the spinning jenny shows that it was profitable in Britain but not in France or in India. Since the jenny was profitable to use only in Britain, it was only in Britain that it was worth incurring the costs necessary to develop it. That is why the jenny was invented in Britain but not elsewhere. Irrespective of the quality of their institutions or the progressiveness of their cultures, neither the French nor the Indians would have found it profitable to mechanize cotton production in the eighteenth century. |
| Keywords: | Industrial Revolution, Invention, Technological Change, Great Divergence |
| JEL: | N63 N65 N73 N75 O14 O31 O33 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oxf:wpaper:375&r=cwa |
| By: | Fafchamps, Marcel; Vargas-Hill, Ruth; Minten, Bart |
| Abstract: | "Using original data collected about growers, traders, processors, markets, and village communities, we compare the situation in four states – Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa. We examine the way that information about crop attributes is conveyed (or not) along the value chain. We also document the infrastructure available at the level of the market. We find that little information circulates about unobservable crop characteristics. Growers receive a price premium when they dry, grade, and pack their produce, but we find no evidence that information about crop health and safety or agricultural practices circulates through the value chain or that growers are encouraged to follow specific agricultural practices for quality purposes. Market infrastructure is deficient regarding sanitation, with few public toilets, inadequate drainage, and no coordinated pest control." from Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | Food marketing, Food safety, Food quality, Value chain, |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:717&r=cwa |
| By: | ranjan, sharad |
| Abstract: | The evidence of diversification of rural employment in India structure away from farm to non-farm activities has attracted a lot of interest among researchers. But a few empirical studies have been made of such developments in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The present study takes into account the latest data available on the subject relating to the state of UP. The study investigates whether the employment shift from farm sector towards the non-farm sector arises out of prosperity-induced factors or distress-induced factors. It examines employment pattern at various levels such as sectoral distribution, mode of employment in terms of self-employed or wage earners, rewards of their labour and productivity levels of the ubiquitous unorganised sector. Such an investigation carried out from various perspectives led to conclusive evidence showing that distress-push factors were predominant in driving workers to non-farm employment. Further, it records also the impact on rural non-farm employment, of various factors such as land ownership, education and their caste affiliation. Low level of their education and their status as landless earners devoid of capital resources suggest broad distress-induced circumstances of non-farm workers. |
| JEL: | R11 |
| Date: | 2007–11–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7791&r=cwa |
| By: | Ranjan, Sharad |
| Abstract: | In rural India, employment growth in the non-farm economy has been taken as a solution to various problems such as unemployment, poverty, rural /urban income differentials etc. Therefore, there is a growing feeling of urgency for enlarging the ambit of non-farm activities. Forces that have given fillip to non-farm sector are broadly classified in two categories: One, factors that attract workers to new opportunities in non-farm sector and two, factors that drive workers away from their present agricultural occupation out of despair or under duress. These are called as demand-pull and distress-induced factors respectively. The basic objective of our study was to examine the possible causes of employment growth in non-farm activities viz. (i) whether it was the demand-pull factors exercised by agricultural growth (ii) distress-push factors that impelled them to undertake non-farm activity because they failed to find any employment in the farm sector; or (iii) it was the result of factors external to the rural economy. The state specific data give us reasons to believe that the employment activities of rural non-farm workers were dictated by distress conditions. The survey results further strengthened the perception of broad distress-induced circumstances of non-farm workers |
| JEL: | J21 |
| Date: | 2007–11–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7792&r=cwa |
| By: | Birner, Regina; Anderson, Jock R. |
| Abstract: | "Many countries have recognized the need to revive agricultural advisory or extension services (the terms are used interchangeably here) as a means of using agriculture as an engine of pro-poor growth; reaching marginalized, poor, and female farmers; and addressing new challenges, such as environmental degradation and climate change. In spite of ample experience with extension reform worldwide, identifying the reform options most likely to make extension more demand-driven remains a major challenge. The concept of demand-driven services implies making extension more responsive to the needs of all farmers, including women and those who are poor and marginalized. It also implies making extension more accountable to farmers and, as a consequence, more effective. This essay discusses various options for providing and financing agricultural advisory services, which involve the public and private sectors as well as a third sector comprising nongovernmental organizations and farmer-based organizations. We review the market and state failures, and the “community” failures (failures of non-governmental and farmer-based organizations) inherent in existing models of providing and financing agricultural extension services and then outline strategies to address those failures and make extension demand-driven. Then we examine India's Policy Framework for Agricultural Extension, which has demand-driven extension as one of its major objectives, and review available survey information on the state of extension in India. We conclude that although the framework proposes a wide range of strategies to make agricultural extension demand-driven, it is less specific in addressing the challenges inherent in those strategies. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the strategies proposed in the framework will be able to address one of the major problems identified by farm household surveys: access to agricultural extension." from Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | Demand-driven agricultural advisory services, Extension reform, Agricultural extension work, Agricultural policy, Pro-poor growth, Farmers, Environmental degradation, Climate change, Public-private sector cooperation, Non-governmental organizations, |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:729&r=cwa |
| By: | Richard Herd; Willi Leibfritz |
| Abstract: | This paper examines varies areas of India´s fiscal policy, in particular fiscal discipline, the structure of government spending, the tax system and fiscal federalism. It describes reforms over the past decades which, as part of the overall economic reform agenda, helped lifting the Indian economy to a higher growth path. It also discusses where further reforms are desirable to further reduce economic distortions and improve the provision of public services. It finds that after high fiscal deficits have often been recorded during the past two decades, after the adoption of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act in 2003, fiscal discipline has significantly improved. As to government spending, it argues that, given the large share which is used to subsidise commercial undertakings, agriculture and food distribution, there is much room to improve the quality of spending and to target it better to improving infrastructure and reducing poverty. It describes the tax system which has undergone major reforms since the early 1990s. Nonetheless, there are still many exemptions and loopholes which suggest that a broadening of the tax bases would allow further reductions in tax rates and make the system simpler, fairer and more efficient. The paper also suggests that reforms of indirect taxes should focus on creating a common market within India so that goods can move between states without border controls. Finally, on fiscal federalism it finds that India's federal structure has led to a well-developed system of tax-sharing and transfers, both through constitutionally empowered bodies and delivered through the annual budget. While overall, India´s fiscal federalism has worked well moving resources towards the poorest states, it has become very complex and there are still some features which weaken fiscal discipline of the states. Furthermore, a major drawback is the lack of an effective local government system, most notably in rural areas and strengthening the local level would be important for improving accountability and responsiveness to citizens’ needs as three-quarters of the population live in states with over 50 million inhabitants. <P>La politique budgétaire en Inde : réformes passées et challenges pour l’avenir <BR>Nous examinons dans ce document différents aspects de la politique budgétaire indienne, notamment la discipline budgétaire, la structure des dépenses publiques, le système fiscal et le fédéralisme budgétaire. Nous décrivons les réformes mises en oeuvre au cours des dernières décennies, qui, dans le cadre du programme global de réformes économiques, ont contribué à rehausser la trajectoire de croissance de l'économie indienne. Nous nous demandons également si de nouvelles réformes sont souhaitables pour réduire encore certaines distorsions économiques, et améliorer la prestation des services publics. Nous parvenons à la conclusion qu'après deux décennies fréquemment marquées par de volumineux déficits budgétaires, la discipline budgétaire s'est sensiblement améliorée à la suite de l'adoption de la Loi de responsabilité et de gestion budgétaires de 2003. S'agissant des dépenses publiques, nous estimons que, dans la mesure où une grande partie des fonds est utilisée pour subventionner des entreprises commerciales, l'agriculture et la distribution de produits alimentaires, les autorités disposent de marges de manoeuvre considérables pour améliorer la qualité des dépenses et mieux les cibler, en vue d'améliorer les infrastructures et de faire reculer la pauvreté. Nous décrivons également le système fiscal, qui a fait l'objet de réformes de fond depuis le début des années 90. Il n'en demeure pas moins caractérisé par un grand nombre d'exonérations et de lacunes, ce qui laisse à penser qu'un élargissement de l'assiette des impôts permettrait de réduire davantage leur taux, tout en rendant le système fiscal plus simple, plus équitable et plus efficient. Nous estimons par ailleurs que les réformes des impôts indirects devraient être axées sur la création d'un marché commun en Inde, de manière que les biens puissent circuler entre les États de l'Union sans contrôle à leurs frontières. Enfin, s'agissant du fédéralisme budgétaire, nous parvenons à la conclusion que la structure fédérale de l'Inde a débouché sur un système étoffé de partage des recettes fiscales et de transferts, reposant sur des organismes constitutionnels ou s'inscrivant dans le cadre du budget annuel. Globalement, le fédéralisme budgétaire indien a bien fonctionné et permis de redistribuer des ressources aux États les plus démunis, mais il est devenu très complexe et présente encore des caractéristiques qui nuisent à la discipline budgétaire des États. En outre, un de ses inconvénients majeurs réside dans l'absence de système d'administration locale efficace, en particulier dans les zones rurales. À cet égard, il serait important de renforcer le niveau local d'administration pour responsabiliser davantage les autorités et les rendre plus attentives aux besoins des citoyens, dans la mesure où trois quarts de la population vivent dans des États de plus de 50 millions d'habitants. |
| Keywords: | taxation, fiscalité, fiscal policy, politique budgétaire, dépenses publiques, fiscal federalism, fédéralisme budgétaire, India, government spending |
| JEL: | H1 H2 H5 H6 H7 |
| Date: | 2008–03–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:595-en&r=cwa |
| By: | Seethamma Natarajan, Rajesh Raj S.N. |
| Abstract: | The small and medium enterprise sector plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic development and growth of nations. But there is evidence that the firms in this sector are less efficient than those in the large enterprise sector. Hence it is imperative to examine their efficiency levels in order to identify the factors that contribute inefficiency in these firms and to generate information for designing support policies for them. In this study, level and sources of technical efficiency in the unorganised manufacturing sector in the Indian state of Kerala is examined using translog stochastic frontier production function. The analysis is conducted for five broad industry groups and the sector as a whole using firm level data. The findings show that high levels of technical inefficiency, which reduce their potential levels significantly, characterize the unorganised manufacturing enterprises in Kerala. Regarding the factors contributing to inefficiencies, it is observed that size, ownership, region (location) and nature of seasonality of operation significantly influence technical efficiency level in most of the industry groups. We also find that credit availability and employment of hired labour play an important role in explaining technical efficiency levels. |
| Keywords: | Technical Efficiency; Stochastic Frontier Production Function; Unorganised Manufacturing Sector; Kerala |
| JEL: | O17 O14 |
| Date: | 2007–11–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:7816&r=cwa |
| By: | Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada (Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena) |
| Abstract: | Entrepreneurship literature (Parker 2004) has rarely considered spatial location as a micro-determinant of occupational choice, although there are compelling reasons to posit that spatial location influences economic behavior. Using Bayesian semiparametric methodologies and geoadditive techniques, we examine spatial location as a micro-determinant of self-employment choice of Indians, in addition to standard determinants such as age, gender and education. The empirical analysis suggests the presence of spatial occupational neighborhoods and a clear north-south divide in self-employment choice in India when individuals of agricultural and nonagricultural sectors are considered together; however, such spatial patterns are less pronounced when individuals in nonagriculture alone are considered in the analysis. These residual spatial patterns are found to be inversely related to the per-capita GDP of the region. The results further suggest nonlinear relationships between age, wealth and the probability of self-employment. |
| Keywords: | Entrepreneurship, Self-employment, Developing Countries, Bayesian Semiparametric Methods, Geoadditive Models |
| JEL: | J24 J43 J44 L26 |
| Date: | 2008–03–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2008-026&r=cwa |