This paper suggests that the use of investment incentives focusing exclusively on foreign firms, although motivated in some cases from a theoretical point of view, is generally not an efficient way to raise national welfare. The main reason is that the strongest theoretical motive for financial...

Technical progress is at the heart of economic growth and development. New or improved technology can be achieved through own research and innovations or through the absorption and adaptation of foreign technologies. To facilitate such technical progress requires a complex system of supporting...

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have been important for Vietnam’s rapid economic development. However, the context in which SMEs operate are rapidly changing with the current internationalisation of the Vietnamese economy. The question posed in this paper is “How are Vietnam’s...

After a review of the literature, we conclude that there is potential for significant “spillover effects” from FDI into host countries. However, we identify some limitations of this potential to do with the stock of human capital, the interest in local firms of promoting skills transfer and...

Lao PDR has shown a strong record of economic growth and poverty alleviation since the early 1990s. Yet, the pace of economic development has varied significantly between different parts of the country - the rate of growth was initially faster in more developed areas, but after the mid-1990s...

Lao PDR has been relatively successful in raising incomes and reducing poverty since the early 1990s. However, the gains in terms of poverty reduction are unevenly distributed across regions and population groups. This paper uses a detailed household survey data set to examine the determinants...

This paper re-examines the relation between regional integration and trade by using the framework suggested by Yeats [1998] to analyze the effects of European integration. We identify the industries that experienced the largest increases in regional trade orientation during three phases of...

The main macroeconomic challenges at the early stages of Vietnam¡¯s economic reforms were related to stability and growth. The main achievements of Doi Moi are also related to the success in meeting these two challenges: Vietnam has managed to combine high growth with reasonable price...

Although it remains a one-party state, Vietnam has become one of the most popular host countries for multilateral and bilateral aid donors during the past decade. Vietnam¡¯s popularity is largely explained by the fact that it perceived as a good aid recipient, and it has often been identified...

The purpose of this paper is to track the development of three components of the Vietnamese welfare state since the introduction of market-oriented economic reforms in the late 1980s: education, health, and social insurance. This is done with reference to Sweden's historical experiences of...