This paper examines the performance of 515 banks in 16 transition economies for the years 1994-99 based on their public financial accounts. We first examine lending behaviour and probability distribution of bank profitability to determine whether these banks exhibit behaviour and performance...

Their name suggests that the multilateral development banks (MDBs) should provide finance for investments in human and physical capital that promote development. The interpretation of this broad mandate, however, has changed significantly over time. One reassessment occurred when the European...

While development of sound, market-oriented banking systems is fundamental to the transition, bank intermediation remains stunted after a decade or more of reform. This paper examines the impact of banking and enterprise reforms and other factors on banking development in transition economies at...

This paper reports the findings of a survey of more than 3,000 firms in 20 transition countries. It shows that barter and other non-monetary transactions (including the use of bills of exchange, debt swaps, barter chains, and the redemption of debt in goods) are an important phenomenon in Russia...

This paper uses a survey of 3,300 firms in 25 transition countries to shed light on the factors that influence restructuring by firms and their subsequent performance as measured by growth in sales and in sales per employee over a three-year period. We begin by surveying what a decade of...

To understand the transformation of banking in the post-communist transition, this paper examines the cost efficiency of 289 banks in 15 east European countries. The findings showed that banking systems in which foreign-owned banks have a larger share of total assets record lower costs and that...

This paper provides an overview and discusses key findings of the 2002 Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS), implemented jointly by the EBRD and the World Bank. (The first round of the BEEPS was implemented in 1999.) Four important conclusions arise from the analysis....

This paper analyses the long term growth experiences of the eastern European accession countries and the effect of various tailored growth policies. We find that there are two overarching growth-enhancing policies that can substantially increase long-term growth: competition and the quality of...

This paper provides a non-technical summary of a framework for evaluating the transition impact (social returns) of any infrastructure investment that reduces transaction costs and thereby intensifies product market competition. The framework applies both to physical and institutional...