Economic Reform and Progress in Latin America and the Caribbean PDF Download

Author: Norman Loayza
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Administracion publica - America Latina
Languages : en
Pages : 111

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Author: Norman Loayza
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 39

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Book Description
The paper examines the experience in structural reform in five areas- international trade, financial markets, labor markets, and the generation and use of public resources- countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It develops quantitative indicators for the policy reforms and for their outcomes.In the late 1980s, after decades of poor economic management, many Latin American and Caribbean countries undertook structural reform that placed them on a path toward superior economic performance.Loayza and Palacios examine the experience in structural reform in five areas: governance (reforming public institutions), international trade, financial markets, labor markets, and the generation and use of public resources.To characterize the experience with structural reform in the region, they develop quantitative indicators for different types of policy reform and for their outcomes.They conclude that the most progress has been made in liberalizing international trade. In this area the region has done almost as well as the Asian newly industrialized countries (NICs).The least progress has been made in reforming labor markets. In most countries there are still severe constraints on hiring and firing workers, payroll tax rates are high, there are few or no mechanisms for resolving labor disputes, and there is too much public employment.Financial development has improved, especially the depth of financial intermediation, private sector participation in banking, and the size and activity of stock markets. As for the efficient generation and use of public resources, much has been done to make the value-added tax system efficient and to privatize public enterprises.Reform gains in governance have been modest. Latin America remains well behind the Asian NICs and OECD countries, especially regarding the rule of law (judicial and police systems) and the quality of public administration (procedural clarity and the bureaucracy's honesty and technical competence).A great deal has been accomplished, but compared with the Asian NICs and OECD countries, there is still substantial room for improvement.This paper - product of the Office of the Chief Economist, Latin America and the Caribbean Region - the second chapter of the report The Long March: A Reform Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Next Decade, presented at the ABCD-LAC conference in Montevideo, June 30, 1997.

Author: Norman Loayza
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
September 1997 The paper examines the experience in structural reform in five areas- international trade, financial markets, labor markets, and the generation and use of public resources- countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It develops quantitative indicators for the policy reforms and for their outcomes. In the late 1980s, after decades of poor economic management, many Latin American and Caribbean countries undertook structural reform that placed them on a path toward superior economic performance. Loayza and Palacios examine the experience in structural reform in five areas: governance (reforming public institutions), international trade, financial markets, labor markets, and the generation and use of public resources. To characterize the experience with structural reform in the region, they develop quantitative indicators for different types of policy reform and for their outcomes. They conclude that the most progress has been made in liberalizing international trade. In this area the region has done almost as well as the Asian newly industrialized countries (NICs). The least progress has been made in reforming labor markets. In most countries there are still severe constraints on hiring and firing workers, payroll tax rates are high, there are few or no mechanisms for resolving labor disputes, and there is too much public employment. Financial development has improved, especially the depth of financial intermediation, private sector participation in banking, and the size and activity of stock markets. As for the efficient generation and use of public resources, much has been done to make the value-added tax system efficient and to privatize public enterprises. Reform gains in governance have been modest. Latin America remains well behind the Asian NICs and OECD countries, especially regarding the rule of law (judicial and police systems) and the quality of public administration (procedural clarity and the bureaucracy's honesty and technical competence). A great deal has been accomplished, but compared with the Asian NICs and OECD countries, there is still substantial room for improvement. This paper- product of the Office of the Chief Economist, Latin America and the Caribbean Region- the second chapter of the report The Long March: A Reform Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Next Decade, presented at the ABCD-LAC conference in Montevideo, June 30, 1997.

Author: Barbara Stallings
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780815798293
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
A Brookings Institution Press and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) publication In the last ten to fifteen years, the Latin American and Caribbean region has undergone the most significant transformation of economic policy since World War II. Through a series of structural reforms, an increasing number of countries have moved from closed, state-dominated economies to ones that are more market oriented and open to the rest of the world. Policymakers expected that these changes, in conjunction with lower rates of inflation and increased spending in the social area, would speed up economic growth, increase productivity, and lead to the creation of more jobs and greater equality. Have those expectations been fulfilled? Analyzing the impact of the reforms in nine countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru), this study provides a detailed picture of progress to date. At the overall regional level, the book suggests, the reforms have had a surprisingly small impact: a small positive impact on investment and growth, and a small negative impact on employment and income distribution. But at the country, sectoral, and microeconomic levels, it finds evidence of strong effects, with some units doing very well and others falling behind.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821333488
Category : Caribbean Area
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
Over the past decade, most countries in the Latin America and Caribbean Region have stabilized their economies and lowered barriers to international trade. Many of the policies aimed at reducing poverty and tackling inequality in the 1960-1980 period were well intentioned, but the region made little or no progress in improving income distribution. With the recent shift toward market orientation and openness to international trade, these countries will need a new approach to labor policy as well as different instruments for addressing income distribution goals. This report gives special attention to four areas of labor policy: 1) change from direct government intervention in wage determination and strict seniority rules to a system that rewards effort, high productivity, and good management within a framework that relies on voluntary negotiation of working conditions between workers and firms; 2) replacement of job security legislation by a more effective mechanism that protects workers when they change jobs; 3) careful design of mandatory contributions to social security and other programs in order to minimize the distortionary effect of labor taxes; and 4) redirecting of government subsidies for training and education to the demand side and targeting to those who cannot afford to pay.

Author: Shahid Javed Burki
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821339855
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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"Detailed discussion of reforms necessary to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty in the region. Reforms include equity market development, civil service reform, in health and education investment, labor market liberalization, and greater trade openness"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.

Author: Harry Ivan Costin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 396

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Book Description
A first of its kind to hit the market, this text provides an overview of recent political, economic and business developments in Latin America. Written by leading economists and scholars in the field, it gives a current, comprehensive introduction to the problems and issues involved in Latin America's recent economic reform processes, an understanding essential to international business students, business people eyeing Latin American markets, as well as professionals, scholars, and students interested in the area. The text is appropriate for graduate and undergraduate courses offering a primary or secondary focus on recent developments in Latin America.

Author: Gustavo Indart
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351159348
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
Originally published in 2004. Growth, income distribution, and labour markets are issues of pivotal importance in the Latin American context. Examining unique theoretical issues and the empirical evidence, this book provides a critical analysis of the key elements of income distribution determinants, labour market functions, trade policies, and their interrelations. As the advance of globalization becomes seemingly unstoppable, this book provides an important reappraisal of the impact of this new phenomenon, and in particular, the pernicious impact it may have on income growth and distribution. The key objective of the volume is to integrate more fully the analysis of trade and labour market economists, in order to better understand the labour market and income distribution implications of globalization and international integration. Forty years after the early calls to appropriately investigate the micro foundations of macroeconomics, the separation of the two at the policy level is more damaging than ever before - particularly for developing regions; this volume therefore makes an important contribution at the theoretical and policy levels by bringing together macroeconomic and microeconomic analyses.

Author: Jorge M. Katz
Publisher: United Nations Publications
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
In the last ten to fifteen years, profound structural reforms have moved Latin America and the Caribbean from closed, state-dominated economies to ones that are more market-oriented and open. Policymakers expected that these changes would speed up growth. This book is part of a multi-year project to determine whether these expectation have been fulfilled. Focusing on technological change, the impact of the reforms on the process of innovation is examined. It notes that the development process is proving to be highly heterogenous across industries, regions and firms and can be described as strongly inequitable. This differentiation that has emerged has implications for job creation, trade balance, and the role of small and medium sized firms. This ultimately suggests, amongst other things, the need for policies to better spread the use of new technologies.