"Globalization brings opportunities and pressures for domestic firms in emerging markets to innovate and improve their competitive position. Using data on firms in 27 transition economies, the authors test for the effects of globalization through the impact of increased competition and foreign...

The objective of this report is to explore firm competitiveness, the investment climate, and growth in Malaysia. This report is structured as follows. The first two chapters provide an assessment of the investment climate. The last two chapters examine how productivity enhancing programs, skills...

Azerbaijan's early transition to an independent, market-based economy has been tumultuous, entailing significant economic costs, and social impacts. Yet, unlike many transition economies, sound economic reforms since 1995, have enabled the country to achieve macroeconomic stability, and resume...

Azerbaijan's early transition to an independent, market-based economy has been tumultuous, entailing significant economic costs, and social impacts. Yet, unlike many transition economies, sound economic reforms since 1995, have enabled the country to achieve macroeconomic stability, and resume...

The Czech government is confronted with a worsening fiscal situation. The structural deficit ballooned in 2000, and it is expected to widen further in 2001. The report suggests that, at this stage of the recovery, fiscal retrenchment instead should be in order, both to make room for private...

This report is a result of the mission of the World Bank to the Czech Republic during November 17 to 27, 2008 for providing advisory service to the Government of the Czech Republic for the design and development of a modern, integrated revenue authority. Earlier, between February and April 2008,...