Foreign Trade, FDI, and Capital Flows Study
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Publication Impact of the Libya Crisis on the Tunisian Economy(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-02-01) World BankThis study assesses the main spillover effects of the Libyan crisis on the Tunisian economy and estimates the crisis’ overall social welfare and fiscal impacts on Tunisia. The authors consider four main effects on Tunisia: (i) the increased presence of Libyans in Tunisia (both short- and long-term), and the return of Tunisian workers from Libya; (ii) the level and dynamics of illicit informal trade and informal cash flows between the two countries; (iii) the deterioration of civil security in the region and its effects on private investment and tourism; and (iv) the increase in the Tunisian government’s security spending. The chapter is organized as follows. Section one describes the objectives of the investigation and methodology. Section two estimates the number of Libyans living in Tunisia (temporary and permanent) and their demographic characteristics. Section three analyzes the living conditions of Libyan households in Tunisia and provides an estimate of their poverty level. Section four analyzes the shocks to Libyan households, and those households’ adaptations and resilience in response to shocks. Section five discusses the migratory decisions of Libyan households, in particular their preference to either return to Libya or remain permanently in Tunisia.Publication Special Economic Zones: An Operational Review of Their Impacts(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017) World Bank GroupPolicy-makers across developing economies are implementing different forms of special economic zones (SEZs): programs intended to catalyze economic growth. The SEZ program is aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to increase firm-level investment and improve firm-level productivity by enhancing firm-level coordination, networks, and innovation. The purpose of this operational review is to inform and to identify and document lessons from the application of these policies across countries and across the World Bank’s project portfolio. The report reviews the SEZ programs, and the characteristics and contexts that are associated with the success of SEZ policies. The report also adds to the general SEZ debate of whether the benefits generated by SEZs are restricted to the firms within the walls of the SEZs with limited social benefit; or whether SEZs eventually lead to spillovers that support structural change generating high social benefits. The report is structure as follows: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two, provides a brief literature review of SEZ theory and performance. Chapter three provides an overview of the dataset developed for this work. Chapter four presents the econometric estimation using the dataset (for the explanatory variables) and nighttime lights data over 5 years as a measure of success (and dependent variable). Finally, chapter five focuses on the World-Bank-Group-funded projects that contain an SEZ component and assess the factors determining success and failures of SEZs.Publication Jamaica Customs Act: WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Gap Analysis(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-07-15) World Bank GroupThis paper reviews the alignment of the customs act of Jamaica to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and recommends changes where gaps are identified. In part II of this paper, the customs act is reviewed against each of the TFA technical measures, in order given in the agreement. Part III of the paper is a conclusion and summarizes the gaps and proposals of part II.Publication Moldova Trade Study: Overview(Washington, DC, 2016-03-03) World BankDespite strong economic growth since 2000, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in the region. Excessive reliance on remittances, export dependency on a few products, and insufficient domestic job creation make the Moldovan economy highly vulnerable to external conditions. As a small and open economy, Moldova’s development potential is linked to its trade and investment integration strategy. Moldova is situated between two large markets: the European Union (EU), which absorbs more than half of Moldova’s exports, and the Russian Federation. Reducing the economic distance to large regional markets and reaping the benefits of openness is key to overcoming Moldova's structural constraints and spurring export-led growth. The objective of the Moldova Trade Study is to contribute to a better understanding of the factors and challenges underlying Moldova’s foreign trade performance and to identify policy interventions that can enhance the competitiveness of Moldova’s exporting firms and the value added of their exports. . The rest of the note is structured as follows: (ii) section two summarizes the analysis of Moldova’s export performance; (iii) section three focuses on constraints on Moldova’s competitiveness; (iv) in section four, the authors consider alternative trade policy scenarios and their implications for the Moldovan economy; (v) section five synthetizes existing analysis on constraints for agriculture competitiveness and exports, while section six evaluates the performance of free economic zones in Moldova. In the final section, the authors present policy recommendations