Real and Financial Economic Dynamics in Russia and Eastern Europe [Hardcover]

Russia and many other transition countries are now facing the challenges of opening up, restructuring, and modernizing their economies, which requires addressing numerous institutional weaknesses and supply-side distortions. From a regional perspective, drawing on the experience of other reforming countries, the papers examine these issues. Aspects addressed include the implications of trade and capital flows, the process of labor market reform, financial market development, productivitiy growth, and innovation dynamics. The dynamics of the reform process are also studied in the context of new political economy models.

Russia and many other transition countries are now facing the challenges of opening up, restructuring, and modernizing their economies, which requires addressing numerous institutional weaknesses and supply-side distortions. The papers in this collection examine these issues both in Russia and from a regional perspective, drawing on the experience of other reforming countries. Aspects addressed include the implications of trade and capital flows, the process of labor market reform, financial market development, productivity growth, and innovation dynamics. The dynamics of the reform process are also studied in the context of new political economy models. 

A. Capital Flows to Transition Economies: Reasons, Risks, and Policy Responses.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Capital Flows and their Motivation.- 2.1 Real Appreciations and Interest Rate Differentials.- 2.2 Capital Scarcity.- 2.3 What Limits Capital Flows to Transition Economies?.- 2.4 Risks Associated with Capital Inflows.- 3 Policy Responses to Capital Inflows.- 3.1 Exchange Rate Regime.- 3.2 Fiscal Policy.- 3.3 Structural Reforms.- 3.4 Capital Controls.- 3.5 Transparency.- 4 Conclusion.- Appendix: Figures and Tables.- References.- B. Long Term Structural Change and Productivity Growth in Russia.- 1 Point of Reference.- 2 Strategy for Russia.- 3 Economil³)