The objective of this study is twofold: First, (a) it evaluates the outcomes and outputs of technical assistance to SEZs in Laos; (b) it assesses the relevance of those results to the objectives of sustainable economic growth and job creation; and (c) it identifies any shortcomings that still...

Provides analysis for a practical action planto implement pro-poor policies through macroeconomic initiatives. The study covers sequencing and implementation issues and provides estimates of both macro and significant microeconomic impacts. The major components of the study are (a) a general...

Laos benefits from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA). The Agreement has eliminated tariffs on 90% of Australia’s and New Zealand’s imports, with the remaining tariff lines to be removed by 2020. For Laos, it provides for a much longer transition period for eliminating...

China is the second most important export destination of Laos, and export growth to that market has far outpaced exports to Thailand, the leading export destination. One of the major drivers of this growth is the comprehensive ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) under which Lao benefits in...

The present macroeconomic model aims to provide a theory-consistent representation of the general structure of the Viet Nam economy and, as such, it offers real and financial sector forecasting and policy simulation capabilities targeted to the needs of the State Bank of Viet Nam. The model...

This study provides a review and analysis of the findings from the scoping study on the proposed Malaysian–Thailand Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ). The study is part of a broader project that intends to support the establishment of an SBEZ that will help to attract investors in productive...

The WTO’s new Agreement on Trade Facilitation (ATF) will help to reverse the region’s deceleration of overall export growth and, when implemented, could add as much as 3 percent to regional GDP and lift employment across the region by 1.2 percent. In the region’s developing economies,...

Laos benefits from the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in Goods (AIFTA) by gaining preferential access to the large Indian market. Under the Agreement, India commits to eliminating customs duties on imports for 90% of its tariff lines under two separate lists: one being completed by the end of...

The World Trade Organization’s new Agreement on Trade Facilitation has the potential to significantly reduce East Asia’s trade costs along the entire supply chain, increasing regional gross domestic product (GDP) by 2.7 percent and employment by 1.2 percent. At present, the region’s...

The present study maps the organic vegetables value chain in the East West Economic Corridor (EWEC) of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It covers horizontal and vertical linkages, information and support services, price differentials, and packaging, branding and certification processes in an...