Trade Reforms, Poverty and Inequality in Bangladesh
Trade Reforms, Poverty and Inequality in Bangladesh

Author: Bodrun Nahar

Publisher: Nova Science Pub Incorporated

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9781631175053

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Trade liberalisation reforms in Bangladesh have been accompanied by impressive economic growth and substantial reductions in poverty. Nevertheless, there is concern that increasing inequality has limited the poverty-reducing impact of economic growth. Against this backdrop, the present study uses a multi-sectoral, multi-factor and multi-household computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to simulate the short-run and long-run effects of the unilateral elimination of import tariffs on poverty and inequality in Bangladesh. In doing so, the study also explores the effects on macroeconomic performance, on output and employment in individual industries, on employment by gender and skill groups, and on household income and consumption of various socio-economic groups. Recognising the perceived risk that the loss of tariff revenue might lead to unsustainably large fiscal deficits, the study simulates the effects of the removal of tariffs, both with and without an endogenously determined consumption tax to compensate for the loss of tariff revenue. In the long run, in both rural and urban areas, the removal of tariffs without a compensatory consumption tax brings significant reductions in poverty accompanied by declines in inequality. With the introduction of a consumption tax, poverty and inequality still fall in the long run, but in each case to a smaller extent. This book provides a significant contribution to understanding of the trade-poverty-inequality nexus in Bangladesh. Its comprehensive, in-depth, yet accessible analysis should arouse the interest of a wide-ranging readership that includes trade negotiators, policy makers, academics, researchers, students and all who are interested in issues at the heart of the globalisation debate.

Growth and Poverty
Growth and Poverty

Author: Sadiq Ahmed

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13:

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Contributed articles presented at a seminar held in Dhaka during June 26-27, 2003 organized at Bureau of Economic Research, University of Dhaka and with support of World Bank.

Trade Reforms, Farm Productivity, and Poverty in Bangladesh
Trade Reforms, Farm Productivity, and Poverty in Bangladesh

Author: Irina Klytchnikova

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 33

ISBN-13:

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"This paper analyzes the distributional impacts of trade reforms in rural areas of Bangladesh. The liberalization of trade in irrigation equipment and fertilizer markets during the early 1990s has led to structural changes in the agricultural sector and a significant increase in rice productivity. A resulting increase in output has been associated with a decline in producer and consumer rice prices of approximately 25 percent. Using a combination of ex-post and ex-ante approaches, the authors investigate the implications of the changes in rice productivity and prices for the welfare of households. They find that the net effects of increased rice productivity and lower rice prices have benefited the poor. Regardless of the particular category analyzed, the poorest households emerged as being particularly positively affected by reforms in the 1990s. This mainly reflects the fact that they are predominantly net rice buyers in both urban and rural markets. In contrast, large net sellers of rice, among the better-off households in the rural areas, were the main losers. Since net buyers in rural areas tend to be poorer than net sellers, trade liberalization has benefited the poor. Although the authors are not able to test empirically what has happened to the welfare level of agricultural wage earners, secondary evidence suggests that they have gained from trade liberalization."--World Bank web site.

Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh
Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

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"The authors examine the effects of WTO agreements and domestic trade policy reforms on production, welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. They use a sequential dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which takes into account accumulation effects, allowing for long-run analysis. The study is based on the 2000 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) of Bangladesh including 15 production sectors, four factors of production (skilled and unskilled labor, agricultural and nonagricultural capital), and nine household groups (five in rural areas and four in urban areas). To examine the link between the macroeconomic effects and microeconomic effects in terms of poverty, the authors use the representative household approach with actual intra-group income distributions. The study presents five simulations for which the major findings are: - The Doha scenario has negative implications for the overall macroeconomy, household welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. Terms of trade deteriorate and consumer prices, particularly food prices, increase more than nominal incomes, especially among poor households. - Free world trade has similar, but larger, impacts. - Domestic trade liberalization induces an expansion of agricultural and light manufacturing sectors, favorable changes in the domestic terms of trade. Although the short-run welfare and poverty impacts are negative, these turn positive in the long run when capital has adjusted through new investments. Rising unskilled wage rates make the poorest households the biggest winners in terms of welfare and poverty reduction. - Domestic liberalization effects far outweigh those of free world trade when these scenarios are combined. - Remittances constitute a powerful poverty-reducing tool given their greater importance in the income of the poor." -- Cover verso.

Does Trade and Technology Transmission Facilitate Inequality Convergence? An Inquiry Into the Role of Technology in Reducing the Poverty of Nations
Does Trade and Technology Transmission Facilitate Inequality Convergence? An Inquiry Into the Role of Technology in Reducing the Poverty of Nations

Author: Gouranga Gopal Das

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

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Based on stylized evidence showing variation of the Gini coefficient of income inequality across skill cohorts and on the rapid rise in trade in technology-intensive goods, the ripple effects of technology transmission and income inequality are explored in a global Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) framework. An exogenous technology shock transmitted via trade from the United States induces productivity growth in developing regions. This spillover capture-aided by absorptive capability, better governance and institutions, technological symmetry and social acceptance-causes income to increase and income inequality to decline. The conjoined parameters retard growth's inequality-enhancing effect and thus facilitate long-run convergence of inequality between nations.

Trade Reforms, Farm Productivity, and Poverty in Bangladesh
Trade Reforms, Farm Productivity, and Poverty in Bangladesh

Author: Irina Klytchnikova

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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This paper analyzes the distributional impacts of trade reforms in rural areas of Bangladesh. The liberalization of trade in irrigation equipment and fertilizer markets during the early 1990s has led to structural changes in the agricultural sector and a significant increase in rice productivity. A resulting increase in output has been associated with a decline in producer and consumer rice prices of approximately 25 percent. Using a combination of ex-post and ex-ante approaches, the authors investigate the implications of the changes in rice productivity and prices for the welfare of households. They find that the net effects of increased rice productivity and lower rice prices have benefited the poor. Regardless of the particular category analyzed, the poorest households emerged as being particularly positively affected by reforms in the 1990s. This mainly reflects the fact that they are predominantly net rice buyers in both urban and rural markets. In contrast, large net sellers of rice, among the better-off households in the rural areas, were the main losers. Since net buyers in rural areas tend to be poorer than net sellers, trade liberalization has benefited the poor. Although the authors are not able to test empirically what has happened to the welfare level of agricultural wage earners, secondary evidence suggests that they have gained from trade liberalization.

The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty
The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789287042323

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The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty looks at the complex relationships between economic growth, poverty reduction and trade, and examines the challenges that poor people face in benefiting from trade opportunities. Written jointly by the World Bank Group and the WTO, the publication examines how trade could make a greater contribution to ending poverty by increasing efforts to lower trade costs, improve the enabling environment, implement trade policy in conjunction with other areas of policy, better manage risks faced by the poor, and improve data used for policy-making.

Trade Policy, Growth and Poverty in Asian Developing Countries
Trade Policy, Growth and Poverty in Asian Developing Countries

Author: Kishor Sharma

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2003-12-08

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1134433263

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Asia constitutes a large portion of the world's population and this new book provides a good selection of contributions that cover trade, equity and development in the continent. With contributions from such leading experts as Clem Tisdell, T.N. Srinivasan and Gustav Ranis, the book's chapters cover countries from Pakistan and India to Korea and Indonesia. This book should be required reading for those interested in the economic growth and development of Asian countries.

Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh
Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh

Author: Nabil Annabi

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

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The authors examine the effects of WTO agreements and domestic trade policy reforms on production, welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. They use a sequential dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which takes into account accumulation effects, allowing for long-run analysis. The study is based on the 2000 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) of Bangladesh including 15 production sectors, four factors of production (skilled and unskilled labor, agricultural and nonagricultural capital), and nine household groups (five in rural areas and four in urban areas). To examine the link between the macroeconomic effects and microeconomic effects in terms of poverty, the authors use the representative household approach with actual intra-group income distributions. The study presents five simulations for which the major findings are: (1) The Doha scenario has negative implications for the overall macroeconomy, household welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. Terms of trade deteriorate and consumer prices, particularly food prices, increase more than nominal incomes, especially among poor households. (2) Free world trade has similar, but larger, impacts. (3) Domestic trade liberalization induces an expansion of agricultural and light manufacturing sectors, favorable changes in the domestic terms of trade. Although the short-run welfare and poverty impacts are negative, these turn positive in the long run when capital has adjusted through new investments. Rising unskilled wage rates make the poorest households the biggest winners in terms of welfare and poverty reduction. (4) Domestic liberalization effects far outweigh those of free world trade when these scenarios are combined. (5) Remittances constitute a powerful poverty-reducing tool given their greater importance in the income of the poor.

Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh
Implications of WTO Agreements and Unilateral Trade Policy Reforms for Poverty in Bangladesh

Author: Nabil Annabi

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The authors examine the effects of WTO agreements and domestic trade policy reforms on production, welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. They use a sequential dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which takes into account accumulation effects, allowing for long-run analysis. The study is based on the 2000 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) of Bangladesh including 15 production sectors, four factors of production (skilled and unskilled labor, agricultural and nonagricultural capital), and nine household groups (five in rural areas and four in urban areas). To examine the link between the macroeconomic effects and microeconomic effects in terms of poverty, the authors use the representative household approach with actual intra-group income distributions. The study presents five simulations for which the major findings are: (1) The Doha scenario has negative implications for the overall macroeconomy, household welfare, and poverty in Bangladesh. Terms of trade deteriorate and consumer prices, particularly food prices, increase more than nominal incomes, especially among poor households. (2) Free world trade has similar, but larger, impacts. (3) Domestic trade liberalization induces an expansion of agricultural and light manufacturing sectors, favorable changes in the domestic terms of trade. Although the short-run welfare and poverty impacts are negative, these turn positive in the long run when capital has adjusted through new investments. Rising unskilled wage rates make the poorest households the biggest winners in terms of welfare and poverty reduction. (4) Domestic liberalization effects far outweigh those of free world trade when these scenarios are combined. (5) Remittances constitute a powerful poverty-reducing tool given their greater importance in the income of the poor.