How successful has China and Bangladesh been in generating domestic saving and attracting foreign savings (or foreign direct investment)?
Savings/Investments
? Barriers to productive investment and doing business? Any government efforts to reduce barriers?
? Sources of domestic capital savings: Consumers, Business & Gov’t. >>> amounts and trends for each?
? Net foreign capital flows and foreign savings sources Public/private, and from what countries?
? Government policies to encourage savings?
? How much commercial borrowing and recent trends, and from
which countries/banks?
? Estimates of gross public and private investment
? Policies to encourage GOOD investment
? Examples of GOOD or BAD investments
? How much has FDI been growing?
? How much FDI and recent trends, and from which countries Types of FDI?
? Recent policies concerning FDI (for/against?) & recent changes
Ch. 11:
? What are some of the key fiscal policy issues facing your countries?
? Trends in Government spending relative to GDP (% of GDP)
? Impact of recent world financial crisis?
? Trends in deficits relative to GDP; efforts to reduce budget deficits What kind of tax system, and how effective is it?
? Tax policies/reforms (any changes to foster economic growth?) How successful has Fiscal policy been in generating savings and encouraging investment?
Ch. 12.
? Has the foreign capital been successful (helpful) in generating GDP growth, and improved productivity?
? Fiscal Policy
? What are some of the key fiscal policy issues facing your countries?
? Trends in Government spending relative to GDP (% of GDP)
? Impact of recent world financial crisis?
? Trends in deficits relative to GDP; efforts to reduce budget deficits What kind of tax system, and how effective is it?
? Tax policies/reforms (any changes to foster economic growth?) How successful has Fiscal policy been in generating savings and encouraging investment?
? Financial Development and Inflation/Monetary Policy
? Does your country have a shallow or deep financial system? What is its “Financial Ratio” and what efforts have been made to deepen it?
? Does your country have a DEEP or SHALLOW financial system? IS it taking any steps to deepen its financial system?
? How prevalent are informal credit markets, and are there efforts to establish more micro-credit markets?
? What is the “central bank” of your country? Is it independent from the government? Who is the head person?
? What has been the history with respect to inflation in your countries in the past 20 years, and what is the view looking forward?
? What tools does the Central Bank use to engage in monetary policy? Is the current policy expansionary or contractionary?
a. Isiteffectivein:
? Setting up financial infrastructure (banks/markets)?
? Controlling inflation (last 10 years)?
Ch. 13-14. Foreign Debt & Foreign Aid
? Find and discuss the debt indicators outlined on pp.460-1
? Is there evidence of “debt overhang”?
? Summarize your country’s foreign debt position---sustainable or not?
? What types and how much foreign aid does your country receive, and
from whom? Bi-lateral/multilateral? What are recent trends?
? Uses of foreign aid – on what?
? Has Foreign Aid been successful in spurring economic growth and development? At achieving other objectives (explain)?
? How much foreign debt? From what countries/sources?
? Can it handle debt service on foreign debt?
? How much is private debt and how much is Sovereign Debt?
? What is the country’s CREDIT RATING?
? Any current debt policies in place or under consideration?