The Effects of a Booming Export Industry on the Rest of the Economy*

It is argued that the roles of relative factor intensity and of the degree of factor mobility have been neglected in models of booming export industries. This paper shows that, contrary to popular beliefs. the mineral export boom may result in (a) an expansion of all industries, (b) an increase in the profitability of the traditional tradeables sector, and(c) a fall in the relative price of non-tradeables .     

SOME THOUGHTS ON INDIRECT TAX EFFECTS IN SOUTH AFRICA*

Whereas income tax is the product of 19th Century thought on State revenue, indirect taxes and property taxes go back to ancient times. This is not surprising, for in underdeveloped countries consumption and property are more readily ascertained than income, which is wholly or partly received in the form of subsistence income or payment in kind.     

The Credit Ratings Game

The collapse of AAA‐rated structured finance products in 2007 to 2008 has brought renewed attention to conflicts of interest in credit rating agencies (CRAs). We model competition among CRAs with three sources of conflicts: (1) CRAs conflict of understating risk to attract business, (2) issuers' ability to purchase only the most favorable ratings, and (3) the trusting nature of some investor clienteles. These conflicts create two distortions. First, competition can reduce efficiency, as it facilitates ratings shopping. Second, ratings are more likely to be inflated during booms and when investors are more trusting. We also discuss efficiency‐enhancing regulatory interventions.