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This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that macroeconomic imbalances in Serbia and Montenegro widened in 2004, putting at risk some of the impressive earlier achievements. Growth, about 5 percent in nonagriculture since 2002, has been fueled by a surge in domestic demand. Lack of competitive domestic production has led to increased imports and a widening current account deficit. The main policy challenge is to maintain macroeconomic stability while accelerating structural reform. Fiscal policy needs to be tightened substantially, and its flexibility increased by reducing the large share of nondiscretionary spending.
The growth of agricultural productivity is widely believed to be low. But this study finds the productivity rate in agriculture to be higher than that in manufacturing, both on average and for groups of countries at different stages of development. This suggests that a large agricultural sector need not be a disadvantage for growth performance, and may be an advantage.
The case for index funds is predicated on the observed inability of active managers to outperform market indexes over long periods. Agency conflicts between investors and fund managers are another important motivation, as index funds benefit from simple, unambiguous accountability.
Results from a two-step simulation that uses a computable general equilibrium model and detailed consumption and income household data suggests that trade liberalization benefits people in the poorest deciles more than those in the richer ones.
November 1998 Substantial export tax equivalents exist for Indian textile and clothing exports, especially to the United States. In today's world, these would have been even higher if domestic Indian policy constraints had been relaxed. In tomorrow's world, the health of India's textile and clothing industries may depend on timely relaxation of these constraints. The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing will abolish all quota restrictions in trade in textiles and clothing by the year 2005. Dismantling the quota regime represents both an opportunity (for developing countries to expand exports) and a threat (because quotas will no longer guarantee markets and even the domestic market will be ope...
December 1998 The answer varies by type of investor. Pension funds and insurance companies should be promoted for their own sake, but mutual funds are unlikely to thrive without well-regulated securities markets. Anglo-American experience suggests that institutional investors can provide a strong stimulus to market development. This takes time and requires both critical mass and conducive regulations. Institutional investors comprise pension funds, insurance companies, and mutual funds. Should a country promote their creation if it lacks well-developed securities markets? The answer to this question, says Vittas, varies by type of investor. He argues that private pension funds and insurance ...
It is difficult to design and implement an effective safety net for banks, because overgenerous protection of banks may introduce a risk-enhancing moral hazard and destabilize the very system it is meant to protect. The safety net that policymakers design must provide the right mix of market and regulatory discipline, enough to protect depositors without unduly undermining market discipline on banks.
June 1998 Aid spurs growth and poverty reduction only in a good policy environment so it should be targeted to countries that have improved their economic policy. That aid tends to be allocated relatively indiscriminately is one factor that undermines its potential impact. Spurring growth in the developing world is one stated objective of foreign aid. Another, more commonly cited, objective is reducing poverty. Generally poverty reduction and growth go hand in hand, but could aid mitigate poverty without measurably affecting growth? Burnside and Dollar examine how foreign aid affects infant mortality-an important social indicator that provides indirect evidence that the benefits of developme...