Sharp fluctuations in the export prices of a major staple commodity can have jarring effects on economic activity. To reduce these undesirable effects and at the same time, increase the government's share in the proceeds of the booming sector, developing countries can funnel the revenue from...

In this analytical sequel to"A Typology of Foreign Exchange Auction Markets in sub-Saharan Africa", the authors compare the micromanagement of different foreign exchange auctions in sub-Saharan Africa. Multi-unit auctions for foreign exchange were introduced in a number of countries in the 1980s...

During 2003, the World Bank Institute sent a needs assessment questionnaire to 48 competition agencies in transition and emerging countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Responses were classified according to the World Bank's analytical regional grouping and the evidence allows a...

This study is concerned with the conceptual and measurement problems which arise in comparisons of levels of per capita output and productivity in different countries. The author stresses the reliance of standarized valuations of the different elements of output rather than official exchange...

Korea's exports have made an important contribution to its outstanding economic growth. Its exports, in turn, have been affected by domestic economic variables, including exchange rate policy, and by external influences. Among domestic economic variables, the exchange rate appears to have had a...

Groundnut products are of central economic importance to millions of smallholders in Africa, India, and Southern China. The products generate 60 percent of rural cash income and account for about 70 percent of the rural labor force in Senegal and The Gambia. Groundnut trade is heavily distorted,...

The author studies the literature on how agricultural prices and macroeconomic policies affect agricultural supply and how that supply affects the environment. He addresses the question of how effective agricultural incentives are in boosting the agricultural supply, particularly in sub-Saharan...

Throughout the world, the rail industry historically has been one of the most extensively regulated of all sectors. Price, entry, exit, financial structure, accounting methods, vertical relations, and operating rules have all been subject to some form of government control. The public utility...

This paper develops a formal general equilibrium trade model for imperfect competition, a model easily applied to actual situations. The model shows that in the long run, international trade brings about five gains: (1) consumers can enjoy a wider selection of goods through the introduction of...

The markets for base metals have changed remarkably in the last few years. A long period of extremely low prices was followed by a sustained price boom in 1987-89 - which continued into 1990 for copper, nickel, lead, and zinc. The author examines the causes of the price boom in terms of market...