We study Israel’s “price rounding regulation” of January 1, 2014, which outlawed non-0-ending prices, forcing retailers to round 9-ending prices, which in many stores comprised 60%+ of all prices. The regulation’s goals were to eliminate (1) the rounding tax—the extra amount consumers...

The wealth management industry has expanded greatly in the Middle East -- following the fortunes of wealth itself. How can wealth managers identify and grow their portfolios in this region? What policies can they push for in order to build wealth management and private banking services? What...

Internal debt financing can be used by multinational firms to shift profits from high-tax to low-tax countries. Governments apply thin capitalization rules (TCRs), which limit the deductibility of interest expenses, to restrict this behavior. TCRs fall in two main categories: safe haven rules...

This paper analyses the characteristics of transfer pricing systems across countries, in order to identify the grouping structures intrinsically related with rules' similarities, and to explore the key characteristics revealed by each group. Applying hierarchical agglomerative technique for...

In this paper we take stock of the evidence concerning the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the productivity of locally owned firms in the Czech Republic. To this end, we collect 332 estimates previously reported in journal articles, working papers, and PhD theses. We find that the...

After nearly a decade of profound economic changes and a market transformation the countries in Central and Eastern Europe now face the challenge of development and sustainable growth. The development priorities include achieving a high income growth for their economies by raising investment...

The present article has examined the effect of the duration of the membership in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and/or the World Trade Organization (WTO) (and not the mere membership in the GATT/WTO) on human development, considered as a measure of citizens' welfare. The...

The Trade-Related Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization has granted major flexibilities to least developed countries (LDCs). One of these flexibilities is the exemption from the implementation of the majority of the provisions of this Agreement over a certain...

The present article aims to complement the nascent literature on the effect of non-reciprocal trade preferences (NRTPs) on beneficiary countries' trade policies. It has investigated, at the aggregate level, the effect of GSP programs and other trade preference programs provided by the QUAD...

Die Europäische Union (EU) hat einen dringenden Bedarf an Seltenen Erden, insbesondere an raffinierten Produkten, die für die Produktion von Elektroautos, Turbinen und anderen technischen Anwendungen unerlässlich sind. Allerdings ist der Raffinierungsprozess nicht nur energieintensiv, sondern...