|
on South East Asia |
| By: | Kiviet, Jan |
| Abstract: | Intermittently Singapore suffers from severe air pollution in periods of intense forest and peatland fires on neighboring South-Asian islands. A recent American Economic Review article modeled the causal relationships between fire intensity in Indonesia and air pollution (PSI) in Singapore, and between PSI and health clinic visits in Singapore. We find serious flaws in the quantitative assessment of these relationships. Attempts are made to repair these using the same classic methodology and data, but also by alternative methods requiring less speculative assumptions. Although actually more detailed data are required, also some results are produced which seem more credible. |
| Keywords: | endogeneity robust inference, environmental economics, health economics, instrument invalidity, sensitivity analysis. |
| JEL: | C12 C13 C26 I1 Q53 |
| Date: | 2019–11–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:96950&r=all |
| By: | Giewwe, Paul; Litvack, Jennie |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of the transition to a market economy on health and education outcomes in transitional Asia, with particular focus on the case of Vietnam. After examining a variety of empirical evidence, several lessons emerge. First, protecting and improving health and education outcomes depends heavily on the success of economic reforms in generating income growth; strong economic growth generally increases outcomes. Second, the nature of the economy before the reforms has an important role in determining their overall impact. Third, small-scale experimentation of specific policies should be done before implementing them on a larger scale. Fourth, governments need to develop medium- to long-term plans for blending public and private provision of health and education services. Finally, because some groups will inevitably face serious problems, identifying and protecting vulnerable groups is an important task of the government after the reforms. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:widerw:295472&r=all |
| By: | Le Ngoc Anh, Hoang; Ho, Toan Manh (Thanh Tay University Hanoi) |
| Abstract: | Hoang Le Ngoc Anh (Academy of Journalism and Communication, Vietnam) wrote about the cooperation between Vietnam and the United States in education from 1992 to 2015. |
| Date: | 2019–06–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:thesis:4gd5x&r=all |
| By: | Khoa Vu; Maria C. Lo Bue |
| Abstract: | Vietnam’s education system has recently attracted international attention for exceptional learning outcomes and success in improving schooling outcomes over a short period, despite being a lower-middle-income country. One potential explanation is the substantial increase in parental schooling after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, which might have led to better educational outcomes for the next generation. This study examines the causal effect of parental schooling on children’s educational attainment in Vietnam. We exploit variation in parental exposure to aerial bombing at an early age to identify the effect of parental schooling. Our instrumental variable estimates indicate that the father’s schooling does not affect a child’s educational outcomes. Furthermore, we find that although parental bombing exposure reduced their schooling, it did not affect children’s educational outcomes or parental investment in their children. Taken together, these findings suggest that Vietnam’s recent success in education is not caused by the rise in the schooling of the parents of today’s children after the war ended in 1975. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational mobility of education, Vietnam, Vietnam War |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2019-67&r=all |
| By: | Tadashi Matsumoto; Jonathan Crook; Kensuke Tanaka |
| Abstract: | Smart cities represent the future of urban development in Emerging Asia as more and more cities and countries resort to smart technologies to build more efficient and liveable urban environments, boost economic growth, foster well-being and facilitate citizen engagement. Policy makers in the region have adopted plans to develop and promote the use of technology to organise and run urban areas. Governments have also provided significant financial backing to smart city projects, acknowledging the importance of public support in this field. The development of smart cities offers significant prospects to tackle enduring issues faced by Emerging Asian cities in policy areas such as transport, the provision of public services, education, healthcare and utilities. |
| Keywords: | China, India, innovation, megatrend, smart cities, Southeast Asia, technology, territorial approach, urban policy |
| JEL: | F68 O14 O33 O38 P25 R11 R58 |
| Date: | 2019–11–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:govaab:2019/10-en&r=all |
| By: | Massimo Filippini (Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH), ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Universita della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Switzerland); Suchita Srinivasan (Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH), ETH Zurich, Switzerland) |
| Abstract: | The health and safety of workers are important determinants of their productivity. In manufacturing industries, occupational health and safety (OHS) measures are critical workplace practices for employers to ensure better working conditions for employees, particularly in industries with rampant indoor pollution. This paper studies the impact of investments undertaken by small and medium enterprises in Vietnam in worker health and safety (including in air quality improvements, heat and noise protection as well as in lighting measures) on labor productivity using a production function approach and panel data from 2011-2015. We find that the amount invested by the firm per worker has a significant positive effect on labor productivity. Moreover, our results hold true for both small and large firms, and for firms belonging to different subgroups of industries. Given historically poor working conditions in Vietnam, policy implications relate to the importance of OHS measures and pollution abatement in influencing economic outcomes such as productivity. |
| Keywords: | Investments in health, Indoor pollution, Labor productivity, Small and medium enterprises, Vietnam |
| JEL: | D83 Q18 Q54 C23 C26 |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eth:wpswif:19-326&r=all |
| By: | Aurélien Baillon (Erasmus University Rotterdam); Joseph Capuno (University of the Philippines Diliman); Owen O'Donnell (Erasmus University Rotterdam); Carlos Tan (University of the Philippines Diliman); Kim van Wilgenburg (Erasmus University Rotterdam) |
| Abstract: | Temporary incentives are offered in anticipation of persistent effects, but these are seldom estimated. We use a nationwide randomized experiment in the Philippines to estimate effects three years after the withdrawal of two incentives for health insurance. A premium subsidy had a persistent effect on enrollment that is more than four fifths of the immediate effect. Application assistance had a much larger immediate impact, but less than a fifth of this effect persisted. The subsidy persuaded those with higher initial willingness to pay to enroll and keep enrolling, while application assistance achieved a larger immediate effect by drawing in those who valued insurance less and were less likely to re-enroll. |
| Keywords: | incentives, persistence, health insurance, subsidy, randomized experiment |
| JEL: | I13 C93 |
| Date: | 2019–11–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tin:wpaper:20190078&r=all |
| By: | Muhammad Iqbal Nugraha (Master of Applied Economics, Padjadjaran University) |
| Abstract: | The need for energy efficiency comes with energy security. High energy consumption rates with the scarcity of fossil-based energy promote the energy-saving awareness. Meanwhile, one of the most used indicators for energy efficiency is energy intensity, a ratio of energy consumed divided by output produced. In this regard, the decrease in energy intensity reflects an improvement in energy efficiency. This study discusses the trend and the impact of several factors determining energy intensity in Indonesia, using both econometric and decomposition analyses. Using the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) for the econometric, this study found that economic growth and energy price negatively impacted energy intensity while industrialization and energy mix affected energy intensity positively. On the other hand, the decomposition results illustrated that efficiency mattered more in influencing energy intensity rather than the structural effects. Several policy implications, including energy conversion promotion, were then derived from the findings of this study. |
| Keywords: | energy intensity, energy efficiency, fully modified ordinary least square |
| JEL: | O1 |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unp:wpaper:201901&r=all |
| By: | Julien Labonne; Sahar Parsa; Pablo Querubín |
| Abstract: | We investigate the effect of term limits on female political representation. Using data from Philippine municipalities where strict term limits have been in place since 1987, we show that term limits led to a large increase in the number of women running and winning in mayoral elections. However, we show that this increase is entirely driven by female relatives of the term-limited incumbents. We further show that the differential gender impact of this policy is driven by political dynasties' adaptive strategies to stay in power. |
| JEL: | D72 |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26431&r=all |
| By: | Eastwood, Robert; Lipton, Michael |
| Abstract: | For developing and transitional countries we explore trends in rural-urban, intrarural and intraurban inequality of income, poverty risk, health and education. In particular, we ask whether behind generally rising inequality post-1980 lie offsetting inter and intrasectoral trends, with narrowing rural-urban gaps - perhaps due to adjustment - being more than offset by rising intrasectoral inequality. Our main finding is that there is no such pattern. Rural-urban gaps in mean consumption and poverty incidence have narrowed in Africa, widened in Asia, but show no global trend, usually moving in the same direction as overall inequality. Anyway divergence in, say, per person consumption need not mean that urban bias has increased: ecogenous factors finding of rising urban/rural 'odds ratios' in education (and to some extent health) indicators does seem to indicate rising urban bias. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:widerw:295529&r=all |
| By: | Hammond, Peter J (Department of Economics, University of Warwick); Qiao, Lei (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics); Sun, Yeneng (Risk Management Institute and Department of Economics, National University of Singapore) |
| Abstract: | Monte Carlo simulation is used in Hammond and Sun (Economic Theory, 2008) to characterize a standard stochastic framework involving a continuum of random variables that are conditionally independent given macro shocks. This paper presents some general properties of such Monte Carlo sampling processes, including their one-way Fubini extension and regular conditional independence. In addition to the almost sure convergence of Monte Carlo simulation considered in Hammond and Sun (Economic Theory, 2008), here we also consider norm convergence when the random variables are square integrable. This leads to a necessary and sufficient condition for the classical law of large numbers to hold in a general Hilbert space. Applying this analysis to large economies with asymmetric information shows that the conflict between incentive compatibility and Pareto efficiency is resolved asymptotically for almost all sampling economies, corresponding to some results in McLean and Postlewaite (Econometrica 2002) and in Sun and Yannelis (Journal of Economic Theory, 2007). |
| Keywords: | Law of large numbers ; Monte Carlo sampling process ; one-way Fubini property ; Hilbert space ; incentive compatibility ; asymmetric information ; Pareto efficiency |
| JEL: | C65 D51 D61 D82 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:warwec:1229&r=all |
| By: | Yusuke Kuroishi (London School of Economics); Yasuyuki Sawada (Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo and AsianDevelopment Bank) |
| Abstract: | The literature concerning how preferences are affected by extreme events is char-acterized by mixed findings. To bridge this gap, we investigate the impacts of twodisasters triggered by different natural hazards on present bias, exponential time dis-counting, and curvature parameters of a utility function. These are elicited in anintegrated manner by the convex time budget (CTB) experiments as well as the multi-ple price list (MPL) experiments. Based on these approaches, we employ sui generisexperimental data and accurate disaster damage information from the official metricalsurveys in Iwanuma city of Japan and from satellite images of the East Laguna Villageof the Philippines, which were hit, respectively, by a strong earthquake and tsunami in2011 and serious floods in 2012. First, we find that disaster exposure makes individ-uals more present-biased and less risk-averse regardless of distinctive differences insocio-economic conditions and disaster types. Second, the impact lasted for 6 yearsin both areas, suggesting persistency of the effect. Third, our results are consistentwith emotional channels but not necessarily with a potential market friction in theform of binding liquidity constraints. Our findings suggest that the existing mixedempirical evidence can be attributed to the lack of an integrated and consistent frame-work as well as accurate data on disaster damages, rather than variations in literacyor education levels of experimental subjects. |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tky:fseres:2019cf1130&r=all |
| By: | Hammond, Peter J. (University of Warwick); Qiao, Lei (Shanghai University of Finance and Economics); Sun, Yeneng (National University of Singapore) |
| Abstract: | Monte Carlo simulation is used in [13] to characterize a standard stochastic framework involving a continuum of random variables that are conditionally independent given macro shocks. This paper presents some general properties of such Monte Carlo sampling processes, including their one-way Fubini extension and regular conditional independence. In addition to the almost sure convergence of Monte Carlo simulation considered in [13], here we also consider norm convergence when the random variables are square integrable. This leads to a necessary and sufficient condition for the classical law of large numbers to hold in a general Hilbert space. Applying this analysis to large economies with asymmetric information shows that the conflict between incentive compatibility and Pareto efficiency is resolved asymptotically for almost all sampling economies, corresponding to some results in [21] and [24]. |
| Keywords: | Law of large numbers ; Monte Carlo sampling process ; one-way Fubini property ; Hilbert space ; incentive compatibility ; asymmetric information ; Pareto efficiency Jel Classification: C65 ; D51 ; D61 ; D82 |
| Date: | 2019 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wrk:wcreta:54&r=all |
| By: | Aiguo, Lu |
| Abstract: | In examining the welfare situation, this paper explores the relationship between economic changes and social development in Asian transition economies. Under the central planning system, achievements in human development in these countries were commonly greater than the level of economic development might have indicated. This pattern, however, no longer stands true during transition. Human development tends to suffer or not to have corresponding improvement not only because of economic performances, but also as a result of inadequate social policies. The research emphasises human welfare as the ultimate goal of transition, suggesting a need to move away from a one-sided focus on economic growth to a people oriented approach through the adoption of policies which place the well-being of the population at the centre of transitional and development strategies. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:widerw:295354&r=all |
| By: | Moghadam, Valentine M. |
| Abstract: | The papers in this volume emanate from a research project of UNU/WIDER on 'Economic Reforms, Women's Employment and Social Policies'. This project is part of the Institute's programme on the human dimension of the global development process. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:widerw:295413&r=all |
| By: | Montes, Manuel F. |
| Abstract: | The emergence of a select group of developing countries as destinations for private portfolio investment in the 1990s (and the subsequent peso crisis in Mexico in 1994) has rekindled the old issues about the responsibilities and capacities public authorities have with regard to managing the absorption of these resources. This paper discusses the purposes public authorities might have in resisting these flows and presents a model of how authorities might intervene through their domestic financial system. It reviews the experiences of Chile, Malaysia, and Korea as countries whose policy responses have straddled the range of options. It suggests three key issues in the attempts of authorities to intervene in these private decisions. First, it is important for authorities to have clear objectives if they are going to attempt to resist market signals, such as exchange appreciation. Second, authorities should have a constant stance with regard to desirable flows and use flexible instruments. Third, authorities should exert efforts to improve their capacity to intervene through efforts such as building up reserves and creating domestic markets for sterilization instruments. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:widerw:295445&r=all |
| By: | Oliveira, Eduardo (Université catholique de Louvain) |
| Abstract: | By 2030, the fastest rates of population growth and urbanisation will be witnessed in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by India and parts of Southeast Asia (Nagendra et al., 2018). Academic literature (Shoffner et al., 2018) as well as policy documents (UNDP, 2018) have been acknowledging that urbanisation is a global phenomenon with strong environmental sustainability implications and cities have become central to ensuring a sustainable future (Acuto et al., 2018). In ‘Urban Environments in Africa’, Garth Myers deconstructs the criticisms of urban political ecology (UPE) and investigates African environmentalism from different ontological and epistemological points of view. |
| Date: | 2019–07–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:africa:hu9xv&r=all |
| By: | Phi, Nguyet Thi Minh (Asian Development Bank Institute); Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad (Asian Development Bank Institute); Tu, Chuc Anh (Asian Development Bank Institute); Yoshino, Naoyuki (Asian Development Bank Institute); Kim, Chul Ju (Asian Development Bank Institute) |
| Abstract: | We investigate empirically the relationship between ownership identity and the performance of firms in terms of profitability and solvency. Using cross-sectional data covering over 25,000 firms worldwide and by employing various empirical methods, we find robust support for the inferior performance of government enterprises over privately owned firms. Specifically, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) tend to be less profitable than privately owned enterprises. However, they appear to be more dependent on debt for their financial needs and are, thus, better leveraged. Additionally, SOEs are more labor intensive and have higher labor costs. Thus, evidence from this study could be interpreted to mean that privatization could improve the performance of public firms. However, a study over a longer period is needed before these results can be considered conclusive. |
| Keywords: | performance; ownership; solvency; state-owned enterprises; private-owned enterprises |
| JEL: | G32 G34 |
| Date: | 2019–05–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0950&r=all |
| By: | Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad (Asian Development Bank Institute); Yoshino, Naoyuki (Asian Development Bank Institute); Kim, Chul Ju (Asian Development Bank Institute); Mortha, Aline (Asian Development Bank Institute) |
| Abstract: | State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play a key role in the economy of many countries. They are usually thought to be in charge of increasing social welfare. At the same time, their relatively low performance poses several problems, including slowing down economic growth, which is especially pronounced in countries where these firms represent a large share of the economy. Therefore, it is crucial for central governments to implement a comprehensive evaluation method to assess the performance of SOEs. By employing the principal component analysis technique and using data of 1,148 SOEs, mostly from European countries, we provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing SOE performance, which includes various factors: profitability, per capita productivity, per capita costs, debt due days, and solvency. The results of our empirical study show that solvency, per capita costs, and per employee productivity have more deterministic power over the success or failure of SOEs than profitability. Focusing on profitability as the sole assessment criterion will mislead policy makers, keeping in mind also that the nature of many SOEs is to generate social welfare and not profit. |
| Keywords: | state-owned enterprises; SOEs; performance assessment; public economics |
| JEL: | H11 L32 P11 |
| Date: | 2019–05–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0949&r=all |
| By: | Milan Scasny (Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Opletalova 26, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic; Charles University Environment Centre, Jose Martiho 407/2, 162 00, Prague, Czech Republic); Beng Wah Ang (Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, 119260, Singapore); Lukas Recka (Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Opletalova 26, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic) |
| Abstract: | It is common in index decomposition studies to decompose an aggregate into five or more factors. This applies to energy-related carbon emissions since carbon emission coefficient by fuel type is relatively easy to derive. However, it is extremely demanding to derive the air pollutant emission coefficient by fuel type and by sector. As a result, air pollutant emissions have typically been decomposed into three factors — the scale, the structure and the intensity factor. Using a unique facility-level dataset, this is the first study that decomposes air pollutant emissions into five factors, i.e. by decomposing the emission intensity effect further into the fuel-intensity, the fuel-mix, and the emission-fuel intensity factors. Specifically, we use a 5-factor Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method to decompose annual changes in the emissions of four types of air quality pollutants (SO2, NOx, CO and particulate matters) stemming from large stationary emission sources in the Czech Republic. Our analysis covers the period 1990 to 2016, during which the Czech economy transited towards a market economy. It also implemented strict environmental regulation to become a full member of the European Union in 2004. The emissions decreased cumulatively by 74% or more in the 1990s, remained at stable levels during the 2000s and declined again thereafter. We examine how the results differ if one relies on the ‘standard’ 3-factor and the 4-factor decompositions. |
| Keywords: | LMDI, 5-factors IDA, air quality pollutants, emission per fuel type, economic transition |
| JEL: | P28 Q43 Q53 Q56 |
| Date: | 2019–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fau:wpaper:wp2019_34&r=all |