This paper considers two major issues that need to be treated as matters of urgency. First, internal (within country) migrations in the Asian (ACI) region are mostly undocumented and large. Second, the emerging demographic imbalances in the form of aging, which will give dependency ratios that...

This paper investigates the impact of the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Agreement on bilateral trade of each member country by using historical time series data before and after the implementation of the CER. We determined the existence of endogenously determined...

Import-substitution policy creates biases in the incentive structure and lowers the growth of potential exports in the long run. Trade reforms in this respect are likely to reduce the gap between domestic and border prices. The expectation is to bring better industrial performance on the lines...

Textiles, clothing and footwear (TCF) industries in Australia experienced extensive trade reforms in the 1990s, which were expected to promote a competitive TCF activities. This paper examines two hypotheses (1) trade reforms have had a positive impact on TCF industries and (2) trade reforms...

Advocates of the competitive market paradigm strongly believe that "getting the price right" would improve manufacturing performance. Australia experienced extensive trade reforms in the late 1980s and 1990s which were expected to promote a competitive manufacturing sector. This paper examines...

Like many countries, Sri Lanka has used Export Processing Zones as a means of promoting manufactured exports. This article uses a cost-benefit approach to estimate the returns to the national economy from the main zones. Overall, the zones are found to be economically efficient with an economic...

This paper considers two major issues that need to be treated as matters of urgency. First, internal (within country) migrations in the Asian (ACI) region are mostly undocumented and large. It is shown there are significant differences in wages and human development measures to which...

This paper considers two major issues that need to be treated as matters of urgency. First, internal (within country) migrations in the Asian (ACI) region are mostly undocumented and large. It is shown there are significant differences in wages and human development measures to which...

This paper surveys the literature on the performance of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) that have used benefit-cost analytical framework. Survey reveals that as industrial development proceeds, the gap between market and opportunity cost of labour narrow and the interest on EPZs tends to...

Empirical studies that have examined the relationship between trade reforms and manufacturing performance have tended to use productivity growth, export growth and changes in price-cost margins as yardsticks of performance measures. We have examined the available literature for the purpose of...