Their name suggests that the multilateral development banks (MDBs) should provide finance for investments in human and physical capital that promote development. The interpretation of this broad mandate, however, has changed significantly over time. One reassessment occurred when the European...

Wide differences between effective or realised average tax rates, and tax yields that would result if statutory tax rates were strictly applied indicate problems with tax compliance and collection. Due to the greater politicisation of tax systems in transition economies (TEs), we would expect...

While development of sound, market-oriented banking systems is fundamental to the transition, bank intermediation remains stunted after a decade or more of reform. This paper examines the impact of banking and enterprise reforms and other factors on banking development in transition economies at...

This paper analyses the results from a survey conducted in 1999 of more than 100 enterprises in Albania. The main finding of the survey is that registered businesses regard competition from the informal sector as the most important problem they face in doing business. Unregistered firms have a...

We study the nexus between enterprises and the state in transition countries, using new enterprise survey data. We examine the quality of governance, state intervention in enterprise decision-making, state benefits to firms and corruption payments. The quality of governance varies both across...

Most countries commonly classified as ‘in transition’ are still recognisably different in some respects from other countries with a similar income per capita: a larger share of their workforce is in industry, they use more energy, they have a more extensive infrastructure and invest more in...

Under the Kyoto Protocol, transition countries are expected to become important players in the emerging market for greenhouse gas emission reductions, as they can reduce emissions at a relatively low cost. However, the attractiveness of the region as a supplier of emission reductions will not...

The paper analyses optimal contract design in various municipal infrastructure settings. Particular contract types considered are concessions, management contracts and service contracts. The last of these is defined as a contract between a municipal-owned company and a municipality. The paper...

This paper explores how bank characteristics and the institutional environment influence the composition of banks’ loan portfolios. Using a new data set based on the recent EBRD Banking Environment and Performance Survey (BEPS), which was conducted in 2005 for 220 banks in 20 transition...

Capital flight is a fuzzy and unhelpful concept. Russian capital outflows should be analysed in a wider context involving all major determinants of the risk and return faced by Russian savers and investors. Building saver/investor confidence and strengthening the credibility of policies and...