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The CIS-7 Initiative was launched in 2002 and endorsed by ministers from the CIS-7 and donor countries, with the objective of promoting poverty reduction, economic growth, and debt sustainability among the seven poorest countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This volume draws from the follow-up conference held in Lucerne, Switzerland, in January 2003. The objective of this conference was to achieve an understanding of the development agenda in the seven countries and the key policy measures to be taken by the governments and donors to improve future prospects for the countries’ populations.
This paper attempts to assess the incremental external financing requirements occasioned by changes in world food prices, due to implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, for a sample of 57 developing countries. Based on estimates of changes in food prices due to the Round obtained in previous studies, and on detailed data on food trade by country and commodity, the present study shows that the increase in net food import costs are likely to be smaller than 4 percent of net food imports over a period of six years for the countries considered, although for some of the larger trading nations the effect may exceed US$10 million.
In view of disappointing levels of inward foreign direct investment (FDI), this paper examines capital flows into the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and investigates the main impediments to a more favorable investment climate. Direct investment inflows have generally been related to natural resource extraction or energy transportation infrastructure projects, large privatization transactions, and debt/equity swaps to pay for energy supplies. Low FDI inflows despite strengthening macroeconomic performance has reflected a weak investment climate particularly owing to incomplete structural reforms. IMF staff working on the countries concerned cited burdensome tax systems, widespread corruption, extensive state intervention coupled with weak legal and regulatory frameworks, and incomplete structural reforms as the main impediments.
This paper presents simple computational techniques to examine a variety of effects of the Uruguay Round on developing country trade flows. These methods are applied to the cases of Egypt and Morocco to simulate the implications of the Round for their medium-term balance of payments. The analysis takes into account most-favored-nation tariff cuts, preference erosion, liberalization of trade in textiles and clothing, and potential increases in world food prices. The simulation results indicate that the overall balance of payments implications of the Uruguay Round for these countries, while negative, may not be very significant.
This paper explores from a regional perspective the distorted nature of trade in energy products within the CIS countries. The persistence of pricing distortions, barter arrangements, and discriminatory access to pipelines, as well as failure to honor contracts, has disrupted and distorted energy exports to non-CIS countries, undermined energy sector reforms, and distorted investment decisions. The paper focuses on cross-border issues as an integral component of the wider problem of inefficient energy use within the CIS. Several policy recommendations are proposed, including measures to foster greater competition, reduce state involvement, and promote regional cooperation.
Competition between companies tends to be beneficial for thegeneral public, but is this also true for competition betweenStates in a world with global financial markets, low transportcosts, and increasing migration? In this book, Sinn provides asolid economic analysis of the competitive forces at work andaddresses how we should organize competition between systems sothey will enhance the efficiency of these systems, as opposed toacting destructively on them. Provides a thorough economic analysis of the competitive forcesat work between nations and governments. Analyzes a wide range of state activities, including taxation,public goods provision, income redistribution, environmentalpolicy, safety standards, and competition policy. Addresses ways to organize competition so it will enhance theefficiency of these systems.