Financial Deregulation and Industrial Development: Subsequent Impact on Economic Growth in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland

The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland all experienced an initial reduction in the number of industries and an increase in unemployment, once they moved to a market driven economy. Over time the unemployment problem reduced in significance though Poland still experiences high levels to date. Industries sprung up in the private sector in all three countries which counterbalanced the drop in state enterprises. Private sector industries all reported easy access to credit once the business set up while firms with head offices overseas tended to use the home country for borrowing purposes. For these companies, the most significant feature of financial deregulation in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland was that of freedom of capital movement, which increased both the level of business and investment opportunities. Results show that financial deregulation led to industrial development in all three countries. Tests to indicate the impact of industrial production on economic growth, show that for the three countries industrial production caused economic growth. This was a uni-directional causality.