Institutions as the Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth [24/03/2006]
Acemoglu, D., Johnson, S., Robinson, J.
This paper develops the empirical and theoretical case that differences in economic institutions are the fundamental cause of differences in economic development. We first document the empirical importance of institutions by focusing on two “quasi-natural experiments” in history, the division of Korea into two parts with very different economic institutions and the colonization of much of the world by European powers starting in the fifteenth century. We then develop the basic outline of a framework for thinking about why economic institutions differ across countries. Economic institutions determine the incentives of and the constraints on economic actors, and shape economic outcomes.
Labor Market in Belarus: An Overview [23/03/2006]
Haiduk, K., Chubrik, A., Parchevskaya, S., Walewski, M.
The paper provides an overview of the situation at the Belarusian labor market. The adjustment mechanisms and interrelationships between indicators of the labor market and major macroeconomic data are analyzed against the background of other post-socialist countries, and Russia in particular. It is shown that these mechanisms and interrelationships in Belarus acquire its own specifics, which is largely shaped by increasing state interference into the labormarket and the overall character of macroeconomic policies. Next, the dynamics of employment and unemployment and their structural change over the period of the last 10 years is taken into account, and the vulnerable categories of labor market participants are identified.
Operational Environment and Development Problems of Belarusian Industrial Exporters [22/03/2006]
Glambotskaya, A., Pukovich, S.
The paper is prepared on the basis of survey of 250 industrial exporters, conducted by the Institute for Privatization and Management in August–September 2005. In the survey the Belarusian export sector environment was analyzed, export products’ competitiveness factors were determined, and main exporters’ problems and plans for development were specified. Main focus in the paper is made on the exporters’ performance characteristics, and export development potential as the welfare increase factor in the context of openness of Belarusian economy.
Business Environment and Entrepreneurial Activity [21/03/2006]
Dashkevich, V.
Entrepreneurial activity is one of the main sources for economic growth, innovation, and job creation. This paper provides the analysis of the influence of government regulations on the entrepreneurial activity across countries around the world. The entrepreneurial activity is defined as the number of small and medium-sized enterprises across 31 countries and as the share of private sector in GDP across 24 transition countries. The impact of government regulations on the business activity is evaluated using indicators concerning the business registration process and the contract enforcement procedure. This paper also investigates the entrepreneurial activity in the informal sector of the economy. The results of the study indicate that government regulations negatively influence on the development of small and medium-sized business.
Poverty Trends and Social Policies in CIS Countries [20/03/2006]
Sinitsina, I.
The drop of living standards and spread of poverty are common features of market transformation in all transition countries. In the CIS countries these resulted in a rapid increase of the number of households below the poverty line and in a limited access to social services and public utilities. The paper analyzes the interrelations between the market adaptation process and trends in poverty zone expansion/reduction in the CIS countries; it attempts to answer the question to what extent poverty zone expansion reflected the initial levels of economic development and was a specific feature of system transformation and to what extent it resulted from the inconsistency of market reforms.
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