This paper empirically examines the determinants of child health in developing countries and how public policy may interact with these determinants. It improves on previous empirical studies by conducting a more careful analysis of the determinants controlling for possible endogeneity, and by...

Countries that have most successfully used trade as part of a high growth strategy tend to exhibit a distinct trading pattern that maximises learning. The evidence points to three main strategies: first, trading itself matters, as firms learn from a larger market; second, with whom you trade...

In pursuit of economic growth and development, countries have tried to strike a balance between competition and industrial policies across time. This paper will review the empirical evidence on industrial concentration and its economic correlates (notably firms' performance as measured by...

This paper contributes to the international evidence on the possible factors linked to corruption using data on over 1,700 small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in 29 Philippine Cities covered by the 2009 Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Enterprise Survey. The results suggest that...

Most mining operations in developing countries are de facto public-private partnerships, as the state typically owns the resources and partners with a company or consortium in extraction. Revenue sharing is a critically important element of such partnerships, and it is the starting point for any...

The poverty penalty refers to the relatively higher cost shouldered by the poor, when compared to the non-poor, in their participation in certain markets. By trying to further develop this concept, this paper clarifies some of the subtle and more direct ways through which the poor could be...

The Philippines sits atop vast mineral deposits estimated to be worth around PhP 47 trillion. Yet mining in the Philippines has a mixed track record as far as its impact on human and economic development. This paper tries to draw lessons from the Marcopper Mine in Marinduque, Philippines, using...

Bribes can either put "grease" or "sand" in the wheels of commerce, affecting firm performance (at the micro-level) and, ultimately, economic growth (at the macro-level). These two opposing hypotheses on the role corruption plays in countries with weak institutions raise an important empirical...

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in extractive industries (mining and quarrying) is expected to increase dramatically in many developing countries, due to the rising global demand for commodities. One key question for policymakers is whether this form of FDI could help spur investments in other...

An estimated 10% of the Philippine population — about 10 million people — is overseas. While they contribute significantly to the Philippine economy by way of remittances and other connections, there may be a growing risk of brain and skills drain that could be detrimental to the country's...