In this paper, the author distinguishes the main ideas of the theory of Optimal Currency Area (OCA). This work explains the main features, which help to understand the differences between an Optimum Currency Area and Currency Union. This paper also itemizes main benefits and costs for countries...

It has been hypothesized that the rising obesity rates in many countries are an unintended consequence of anti-smoking policies. However, evidence of a causal effect of smoking on body weight is mixed. Using a large nationally representative survey from Belarus, we estimate the effect of the...

This paper address the issue of assessing inflation persistence in Belarus using quarterly seasonally adjusted data over 1996–2011. To detect multiple structural breaks during the analyzed period, we applied recently developed and practically implemented in OxMetrics software impulse...

In this paper we explore the issue of the measurement of productivity in the context of higher education. We suggest applying data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the productivity scores for universities of Belarus. This assessment will help to find out (a) if it possible to construct...

This study estimates the equivalence scale for Belarus, while directly accounting for household size economies of scale. For this purposes, the modication of methodology in Lancaster and Ray (1998) was used. The poverty levels for vulnerable social groups are estimated using the house holds...

Income and consumption inequality increased in all transition economies, albeit to very different levels. The existing literature suggests that countries that were slow to undertake pro-market reforms experienced the largest in- creases in inequality, with the notable exception of Belarus, one...

Patterns of intergenerational educational mobility are studied in thirteen post-communist countries of Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. No clear trend in educational inheritance emerges over the recent 50 years, covering both the period of socialism and transition to a market economy....

In many post-Soviet countries, more than half of all households use small land plots to produce significant agricultural output even though their members have paid jobs or collect state pensions. Existing studies suggest that in Russia such “second agriculture” helps smooth consumption....

The paper addresses the problem of determining the order of integration of inflation and growth rates of monetary aggregates under the multiple structural breaks in dynamics of these variables. Discussing the existent approaches for unit root and structural breaks testing, we propose the...

This study analyzes the effects of directed lending upon total factor productivity and GDP growth in Belarus over the period of 2000-2012. In theory, directed lending can enhance physical capital accumulation and make the access to credit easier, but empirical studies often show that it leads to...