The Cost of Rich (and Poor) Country Protection to Developing Countries

This study confirms that substantial barriers to market accesswill remain in both rich and poor countries following full implementationof the Uruguay Round agreement. The analysis finds that approximately40% of the costs of these barriers to developing countries arisefrom barriers to market access in industrial countries and 60%from barriers in developing countries themselves. The resultssuggest that there would be large gains to almost all regionsfrom a round of negotiations that increased market access inthe North and South. In Africa, the potential static gains frommultilateral reform appear to exceed those from preferentialliberalisation, without the well-known disadvantages of a preferentialapproach.     

Barriers to SME Growth in Slovenia

The paper is based on the findings of a research project which aimed to identify the critical barriers to small business growth and development in Slovenia. The key barriers identified in the research included factors linked to the institutional environment including bureaucracy, and to external financial constraints including the high cost of capital. Internal organisation and resource issues, and social support through local development coalitions were found to be less important. The research was based upon a sample survey of small firms in Slovenia, and on an econometric analysis of the sources of firms' growth. This provided evidence that firms' growth was negatively linked to firms' size, and that growth was reduced by the presence of institutional and financial barriers. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications.     

AGRICULTURAL AND NAMA REFORM UNDER DOHA: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIES

Abstract.  This paper provides estimates of the potential gains to the Asia Pacific region from completely freeing merchandise trade globally and from partial liberalizations that might emerge from the Doha Round. Particular attention is given to agriculture, where the majority of the gains would arise. The results suggest that moving to free global merchandise trade would boost real incomes in the Western Pacific proportionately more than in other regions. The Doha partial liberalization scenarios considered would move the world only a small way towards complete free trade, but inreasingly so the more developing countries themselves are willing to open up.     

In Perspectives

Social enterprises are, at heart, businesses that offer economically sustainable business solutions to social problems.¹ (DTI, 2003)