"The authors examine the determinants of entry by foreign firms using information on 515 Chinese industries at the provincial level during 1998-2001. The analysis, rooted in the new economic geography, focuses on market and supplier access within and outside the province of entry, as well as...

"How effective are public interventions in addressing significant regional disparities in formal manufacturing concentration in a developing economy? Deichmann, Kaiser, Lall, and Shalizi examine the aggregate and sectoral geographic concentration of manufacturing industries for Indonesia, and...

"In this paper, the author attempts to identify the characteristics of the business climate in India that can help explain the different performance of individual states in terms of investment and growth. The paper develops a new Investment Climate Index aimed at summarizing the aspects of the...

"Alm, Annez, and Modi review the options for reform of stamp duties on immovable property transfers collected by Indian state governments. After briefly reviewing some of the many administrative difficulties experienced with the tax, they turn to an examination of its economic impacts. A review...

India has embarked on a substantial program of decentralization following the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts to the Constitution, which call for establishing and significantly empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at district, sub-district (block), and village and urban local levels. The...

Both central and state governments have carried out significant correction of financial imbalances since 2000, through the implementation of fiscal reforms including enactment of fiscal responsibility (FR) acts. However, the improvement in the finances of all states in aggregate hides wide...

"Indonesia's "big bang" decentralization in 2001 shifted much of the responsibility for local economic development from central government to district and city governments, which today number more than 450. But the performance of these districts has varied widely. This paper attempts to...