Privatization and Restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe : Evidence and Policy Options

In this paper, we analyze financial and operating data (1992 to 1995) for more than 6,300 industrial firms in seven countries of the region: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia. These countries have adopted different policies to encourage enterprise restructuring; thus the data can suggest which policies have been the most successful. Fast privatization is instrumental in encouraging restructuring. On average, a firm that has been privatized for four years will increase its productivity 3-5 times more than a similar firm that is still in state ownership. Less important is the method of privatization. Although case-by-case privatization might result in more foreign ownership, investment, and technical assistance, it is slower to implement and does not necessarily bring more rapid restructuring. This is fortunate because such assistance is likely to be available for only a few firms even in those countries that emphasize case-by-case privatization