Modernization and institutional change
Modernization and institutional change
Research in this field focuses on reforms in economic regulation, importing best practices from different countries and regions and reforms in other areas. During the first six months of 2013 we are going to give a detailed analysis of direct foreign investment in Belarus, offering recommendations on how to increase the country’s investment attractiveness. We are going to give particular attention to improving human capital quality among government officials.
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REFORUM. Improving the national competitiveness of Belarus: what governmental development programs are missing
This study, conducted within the REFORUM project, analyzes the substance of governmental development programs with a view to identifying any missing dimensions, which, if implemented, could have sufficient capacity to encourage improvements in the national competitiveness of Belarus. ... -
REFORUM. National competitiveness of Belarus: a brief review of the main trends
This study, conducted in the framework of the project “REFORUM”, analyses whereby Belarus may increase its attractiveness for investment and business, and on what parameters country performs lower progress than its neighbors, and how it should implement reforms in order to increase performance in parameters of country competitiveness. ... -
Entrepreneurs: ready for reforms, but do not believe
As part of its REFORUM project, BISS has conducted an opinion poll of representatives of the business community (hereinafter entrepreneurs), which studied their attitude to reforms in our country. The main conclusions of the study are as follows: ... -
Impact of the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine on the security of the Ukrainian gas transportation system
The Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) is a crucial component of the European gas infrastructure, which accounts for supplies of up to a quarter of the total amount of natural gas consumed in Europe on an annual basis. A substantial portion of Ukraine’s south-eastern regions has found itself in an instability zone caused by a conflict between the Russian Federation and the new Kyiv authorities. ... -
Belarusian officials: regulator against regulation
The success of the development and implementation of reforms depends in large part on the level of expertise, motivation, and interest of officials working for government agencies. In other words, when putting in place reforms, it is not only political will and the chosen strategy that matter, but also the basic disposition of implementing officials. ... -
What Belarusian society thinks on reforms
Any reform brings about a disruption in the system of checks and balances, winners and losers. Therefore, it is the (un)willingness of society to endure the difficulties associated with reforms that determines the tactics chosen by reformers, namely, the choice of the pace and depth of reforms. ... -
What Belarusian civil society thinks on reforms
The success of reforms in Central and Eastern Europe came largely on the back of the inclusion of representatives of various groups, organizations and institutions in the shaping of the transformation policy. Politicians were encouraged to experiment and were effectively stopped from asserting interests of a single group of stakeholders. In this context, the inclusion of civil society in the transformation process becomes a crucial factor. ... -
Prerequisites for Democracy, or Did Belarus Ever Have a Chance?
To all appearances, the frequent attempts of the Belarusian authorities to make their point that “Belarus is not ready for democracy” are not just a way to secure ideological legitimization, but also a sincere belief of a significant part of the country’s political class. ... -
Why Belarus Would Not Be Capable of Repeating the South Korean Path and Fall Into a Developmental Trap?
By now it is becoming clear that the Belarusian authorities continue postponing politically risky economic reforms and see their consolidated, and repressively -capable state apparatus as a comparative advantage in managing the economic institutional change once it starts. This process unfolds as Russia is constantly increasing its pressure on Belarus concerning broad-scale economic reforms. ... -
The impact of FDI on economic growth in Belarus: empirical evidence from sectoral analysis
FDI attraction is perceived by many countries in transition as an important task. Such policy is based on the expectation that FDI will positively affect the economy, bring new technologies, open new markets, and improve management and administration. ...