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on Central and Western Asia |
| By: | Plummer, Michael G. (Asian Development Bank Institute) |
| Abstract: | This paper considers emerging commercial policy challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region in light of the impasse reached at the Eighth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meeting in December 2011. It underscores that, while marginal liberalization of trade barriers under the Doha Development Agenda may not be forthcoming in the short- or even medium-term, the WTO has been successful in erecting a rules-based system of global governance and continues to be extremely important to the future health of the international trading system. Nevertheless, one can expect the current trend toward bilateral and regional free-trade areas (FTAs) will continue, particularly since it is easier to make progress toward “deep integration” in a smaller group of like-minded countries than in the context of the general WTO membership. |
| Keywords: | world trade organization; doha development agenda; post-doha agenda; new regionalism; asia-pacific; free trade areas |
| JEL: | F13 F15 |
| Date: | 2012–10–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0384&r=cwa |
| By: | Nehru, Vikram (Asian Development Bank Institute) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the complementary and competitive roles of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Asia given the backdrop of a changing world in which development priorities and challenges are changing rapidly and the rapid expansion of financial flows to developing countries is challenging the influence of these organizations. The paper highlights changes to the international aid architecture, its increasing fragmentation, the rise of non-traditional donors, and recent efforts at improving aid coordination. With this background, the paper examines the roles of the World Bank and ADB in Asia, provides some comparisons of their performance, notes their overlapping responsibilities, and explains current approaches to coordination and cooperation between them. |
| Keywords: | world bank; asian development bank; asia; international aid |
| JEL: | F34 O10 O19 |
| Date: | 2012–10–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0385&r=cwa |
| By: | Peter Lloyd (University of Melbourne, Australia) |
| Abstract: | The paper reviews critically the arguments concerning greater voice for developing countries in global governance. |
| Keywords: | Global economic governance, developing countries, WTO, UNFCCC, |
| JEL: | F13 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esc:wpaper:11712&r=cwa |
| By: | G. M. Arif (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad); Shujaat Farooq (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad) |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:monogr:2012:5&r=cwa |
| By: | Rahul Sen; Sadhana Srivastava (Auckland University of Technology (AUT)) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the current state of participation of India in the international production networks(IPNs) of manufacturing industries in Asia, and identifies the constraints and challenges for India's deeper participation in the near future. |
| Keywords: | India, international production networks, intra-industry trade, Asia, PTA |
| JEL: | F13 F14 F23 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:esc:wpaper:11812&r=cwa |
| By: | Jana Kourilova; Rene Wokoun; Milan Damborsky; Nikola Krejcova |
| Abstract: | The competitiveness of EU regions This paper results from the project financed by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GA ÈR). The project was carried out by the research team consisting of both The Centre of Regional and Administrative Studies and The Regional Studies Department´s members in 2009 -2011. The introductory part of the paper is focused on the theoretical background with a special emphasis on the concept definition and determination of factors of the regional competitiveness. The concept of competitiveness is relatively new in the economics and the economic geography. In fact, there are no general definitions, the concept is mostly related to a specific issue. Micro-oriented definitions consider the competitiveness as a success in selling products or services on open markets. The macro-economic view is much more variable. It is often associated with an economic development of a sustainable character. The social and environmental aspect is also closely observed as well as the impact of the regional economic growth on other regions, in the sense of whether or not the economic growth is realized at the expense of other regions. The following part of the paper, based on the methodology and index defined for this purpose, assesses the competitiveness of EU regions on the NUTS II level. The regional competitiveness index was compiled on the basis of available Eurostat data. Next part of the paper presents the key factors of the regional competitiveness. Factors are classified as universal and specific. Concerning universal factors, regions with a high level of competitiveness mostly have an important economic centre; these are often metropolitan regions of member states (London, Stockholm, Paris, Prague) with a significant share of services and existence of both public and private decision-making headquarters. In non-metropolitan regions with a high level of competitiveness, there is an economic centre- city with a share of services, R&D and innovation sector. Competitive regions (or their centres) are mostly well connected with the transport infrastructure, especially TEN-T, national highways and international airports. Such regions are important air, rail, road or water transport junctions. One of the key aspects of the regional competitiveness is the concentration of scientific, R&D and innovative institutions often linked to tertiary educational institutions. In general, the educational structure with a high proportion of tertiary or higher secondary educated population (corresponding to the Czech system of secondary education with the school-leaving examination-maturita) is another aspect of a competitive region. The institutional conditions also determine the regional competitiveness and development. Specific factors of the regional competitiveness are the tourism potential, natural sources and the technical infrastructure. Keywords: region, competitiveness, factors, European Union, NUTS II JEL code: R11 |
| Date: | 2012–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa12p788&r=cwa |
| By: | Evgeniya Kolomak |
| Abstract: | The paper studies trends in the urbanization in Russia and compares them with the global ones. Russia has high level of urbanization, urban population reached 73% in 1990, and the rate of urbanization fluctuates around this level past 20 years. The change of the urban population in Russia is influenced by three factors: natality, migration and the administrative reforms. The latter includes the establishing of new urban settlements and transformation of rural settlements into urban or vice versa. Starting in 1992, the low birth rate has become a major factor in reducing the number of urban residents. Immigration from cities was observed in 1991-1992 and it exacerbated the decline of the urban population of Russia. The administrative reorganizations had significant impact on the official statistical data on the urban population in Russia, especially in 1991, 1992, 1999, and 2004. The paper discusses advantages and disadvantages of the urbanization to the economic development and provides empirical analysis of the relationship between the economic growth and the urbanization in Russian regions. Russian regions differ significantly in urbanization, both at the macroeconomic level and the subnational one. Tested hypotheses are the following: 1) urbanization stimulates growth of regional productivity in Russia; 2) the positive effect of urbanization on the regional productivity in Russia is decreasing and at some level becomes an impeding factor; 3) large cities demonstrate higher performance and create positive externalities for the overall regional development. The idea of econometric estimates is to expand an aggregate regional production function including urbanization level and agglomeration capacity of the cities. We use panel annual data for 79 Russian regions and covered period is 2000 – 2008. Estimation tool is fixed effects least squares. The estimates show that increase of share of urban population in the country by 1% gives rise of the average regional productivity by 8%. However, the effect of urbanization is reducing. The growth of a city size per 1 thousand residents would increase economic productivity by 0.1% only. The conclusion is that despite the high level of urbanization in Russia and a number of negative effects of the concentration of economic activity in the cities, the resources of urbanization are not exhausted. Cities develop effectively creating positive externalities and growth impulses on surrounding areas in Russian regions. The potential of changes in the structure of urban settlements in favor of large cities exists, but it is very small. |
| Date: | 2012–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa12p82&r=cwa |
| By: | Irina Slepukhina |
| Abstract: | The objective of the paper is to analyze a city network of the Russian Federation (the RF) in order to understand how the existing urban pattern correlates with the aim and strategic directions of a contemporary regional policy. To reach this goal the present hierarchy of Russian urban system will be analyzed, on the base of population size, level of urban functions and accessibility of transport system. The paper will present strengths and weaknesses of current urban system structure. The regional development of the RF has specific features due to a set of historical, political, economical and social aspects. The Soviet period of planned economy had significantly influenced the territorial development of the country. For a long time Russia had been in a self-isolation condition and, as result, it had the unique planned system with their specific terminology, distributive mechanisms and administrative regulations. In the contemporary Russia regional planning is switching over to a new stage. Apparently Russia seems have been reached the era of so-called “regional revolution†later than the other industrial countries. Now we can observe a creep from sectoral (industrial) planning to territorial development planning. On the one hand, Russia tries to devise a regional development strategy based on the principles of polarization. The budget levelling policy is substituted by the growth pole policy. The “open question†is: which regions and cities could be the poles for the future country’s development? Thereby, realization of a new regional policy demands development of a suitable information, data base, statistics, researches, etc. On the other hand, in the RF is emerging a progressive bifurcation between socio-economic policies and spatial planning. The regional policy is realized without territorial binding. The role and place of the city is indefinite in the regional policy. The issue concerning which cities should be alive in national and global competition is still under discussion. The research methodology is based on the analysis of existing planning and strategic documents of the federal, regional and local levels in the RF, as well as on a retrospective analysis of Russian population settlement pattern and in carrying out a comparative analysis. The adequacy of research will be ensured by using a statistical data of the RF. |
| Date: | 2012–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa12p482&r=cwa |
| By: | Patton, Myles; Binfield, Julian C.R.; Kim, In Seck; Zhang, Lichun; Davis, John |
| Abstract: | The expansion of the EU biofuel sector in recent years has led to speculation that the linkages between the oil and agricultural markets has strengthened and resulted in increased transmission of price volatility. This study uses the FAPRI European modelling system, which includes a UK model, to explore the energy-biofuel-agricultural market linkages in the EU. The complete modelling system is a dynamic, partial equilibrium, multi-commodity model of the EU agriculture and liquid biofuel for transportation sectors. A stochastic approach is used in which the modelling system is simulated 500 times under different paths of oil prices and world commodity prices. This stochastic approach provides a means to analyse the impact of alternative crude oil prices on the biofuel and agricultural sectors. The model simulations demonstrate the complex interactions between the different sectors. |
| Keywords: | Policy modelling, partial equilibrium model, UK, agricultural policy, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2012–09–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc12:134717&r=cwa |
| By: | Afia Malik (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad) |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:monogr:2012:4&r=cwa |
| By: | Muhammad, Shahbaz; Qazi , Muhammad Adnan Hye; Muhammad, Zeshan |
| Abstract: | The aim of present study is to re-investigate the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth by incorporating capital and labor as potential determinants of production function in case of Pakistan. We have used the ARDL bounds testing and rolling window approach (RWA) for cointegration. The causality analysis is conducted by applying the VECM Granger causality and innovative accounting approaches. The results showed that all the variables are cointegrated for long run relationship. Renewable energy consumption, capital and labor boost economic growth. The causality analysis indicated bidirectional causality between economic growth, renewable energy consumption and capital over the period of 1972Q1-2011Q4. The study opens up new directions for policy makers to explore new sources of energy sustain economic growth. |
| Keywords: | Renewable Energy; Economic Growth; Rolling Window Approach |
| JEL: | Q4 |
| Date: | 2012–09–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:41608&r=cwa |
| By: | Bachev, Hrabrin |
| Abstract: | Risks management studies in the agri-food sector predominately focus on the technical methods and the capability to perceive, prevent, mitigate, and recover from diverse risks. In most economic publications the risks are usually studied as other commodity regulated by the market supply and demand, and the farmers “willingness to pay” for an insurance contract modeled. At the same time, the risk management analysis largely ignore a significant “human nature” based (bounded rationality, opportunism) risk, critical factors for the managerial choice such as the institutional environment and the transaction costs, and diversity of alternative (market, private, collective, public, hybrid) modes of risk management. This paper incorporates the interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics and presents a comprehensive framework for analyzing the risk management in the agri-food sector. First, it specifies the diverse (natural, technical, behavioral, economic, policy etc.) type of agri-food risks, and the (market, private, public and hybrid) modes of their management. Second, it defines the efficiency of risk management and identifies (personal, institutional, dimensional, technological, natural) factors of governance choice. Third, it presents stages in the analysis of risk management and for the improvement of public intervention in the risk governance. Forth, it identifies the contemporary opportunities and challenges for the risk governance in the agri-food chain. Finally, it identifies, and assesses the efficiency and prospects of major modes for risk governance in the Bulgarian dairy sector. |
| Keywords: | agri-food chain and risk management; market; private; and public governance; dairy risk management; Bulgaria |
| JEL: | L25 D81 Q12 Q18 L14 D23 Q52 O17 Q13 L22 |
| Date: | 2012–05–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:41651&r=cwa |
| By: | Chang, Chia-Lin; Chang, Jui-Chuan Della; Huang, Yi-Wei |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the inter-relationships among gold prices in five global gold markets, namely London, New York, Japan, Hong Kong (since 1 July 1997, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China), and Taiwan. We investigate the linkages between Taiwan and the other global gold markets to provide insights for useful investment strategies. The augmenting level-VAR models proposed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995) show that the empirical results find bi-directional causality between the London and New York gold markets, and uni-directional causality from New York to the other markets. In this sense, the New York market has gained a leading role in affecting global gold markets. This empirical finding serves as a predictor for the gold price in global markets. |
| Keywords: | Global gold market; Dynamic price integration; Toda-Yamamoto Procedure; Augmenting level-VAR models |
| JEL: | E31 G15 C22 |
| Date: | 2012–09–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:41627&r=cwa |
| By: | Biavaschi, Costanza (IZA); Eichhorst, Werner (IZA); Giulietti, Corrado (IZA); Kendzia, Michael J. (IZA); Muravyev, Alexander (St. Petersburg University GSOM and IZA); Pieters, Janneke (IZA); Rodríguez-Planas, Núria (IZA, IAE-CSIC and UPF); Schmidl, Ricarda (IZA); Zimmermann, Klaus F. (IZA and University of Bonn) |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on the determinants of the labor market situation of young people in developed countries and the developing world, with a special emphasis on the role of vocational training and education policies. We highlight the role of demographic factors, economic growth and labor market institutions in explaining young people's transition into work. We then assess differences in the setup and functioning of the vocational education and training policies in major world regions, as an important driver of differential labor market situation of youth. Based on our analysis we argue in favor of vocational education and training systems combining work experience and general education and give some policy recommendations regarding the implementation of education and training systems adapted to a country's economic and institutional context. |
| Keywords: | vocational education and training, dual vocational training, youth employment, youth unemployment |
| JEL: | J24 I25 O17 |
| Date: | 2012–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6890&r=cwa |