World Bank Discussion Paper No. 251. This study investigates the conflicting viewpoints of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and banks: the SMEs contend that the supply of bank financing is largely unavailable to them, while banks maintain

Regulating Development examines the impact that regulation good or bad can have on the development of poorer societies. It opens with a succinct review of critical issues, including the implications of the spread of intellectual property rights legislation and the role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The volume examines the regulatory experiences of three important developing economies: Brazil, Ghana and South Africa. Key regulatory themes are analysed, most notably capital markets and corporate governance regulation, the regulation of the telecommunications sector and the use of regulatory reforms to promote the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Within each chapter policy lessons are drawn, the relevance of which extend well beyond national or even regional boundaries. The principal aim of the book is to show the extent to which regulation is moving increasingly to centre stage as a driver of development in Africa and Latin America. The book also demonstrates how thoughtful, well-planned regulation can make a real contribution to the emergence of supply-side competitiveness. This book will be invaluable reading for academics, researchers and students with an interest in economics and development studies, as well as for regulators and policymakers in developing countries.

The vigour of global economic expansion has been slowly diminishing in recent years. For many developing countries and economies in transition, per capita income has continued to fall, and poverty remains the single most important concern. Poverty eradication and the revitalization of worldeconomic and industrial growth therefore require a renewed commitment and sense of urgency from policy planners. Industrial Development Global Report 1997 addresses the challenge by focusing on the long-term dynamics of investment and economic growth. It thus emphasizes, as its central message,the crucial importance of economic growth, for which investment is a necessary condition. Part 1 of Global Report 1997 addresses the issues and challenges facing developing countries and economies in transition in their efforts to achieve the levels of investment required to ensure high economic growth. The role of industrial investment is examined from the perspective of globalindustrial change in different regions. The nexus between growth and investment is considered, the factors influencing the levels and efficiency of investment are highlighted and investment and manufacturing trends between 1970 and 1995 are analysed. The links between savings, investment andeconomic growth are investigated to determine the means of financing capital investment at the enterprise level and to find solutions to the problems faced by microenterprises and small enterprises in their efforts to expand. A special feature of Global Report 1997 is the prominence given togovernment policies as an instrument for the promotion of investment, with particular emphasis on the need to tailor such policies to global and national conditions. Part 2 of the Report presents a statistical annex on industrial indicators for 178 countries and territories around the world.

Although a number of selected African countries have made efforts to implement various financial sector reforms, many countries have not fully implemented the requisite reforms required for sustainable development. Instead, they have focused mainly on bank-based financial reforms, thereby neglecting market-based financial reforms. This study provides a one-stop shop for understanding the history and evolution of the financial sector in Africa with a special focus on the sub-Saharan region where the financial system in many countries is still at a relatively nascent stage. The analysis is extensive and robust, and starts from financial repression to financial liberalisation (both internal and external), and its role in sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The book covers a range of important research issues pertaining to financial development in selectede African countries, including interest rate and exchange rate reforms, the dynamics of bank-based and market-based financial development; the role of the informal financial sector in sustainable development; the finance-growth nexus; bank-based versus market-based financial sectors in Africa; financial development and information and communication technology; and financial development and gender equality, among other topics. The book also considers the relationship between the COVID-19 global pandemic and financial development, and concludes by presenting a forecast of the future trends of financial and sustainable development on the African continent in general and sub-Saharfan Africa in particular. The chapters are authored by prominent scholars and researchers in the field of finance and banking, applied econometrics and development economics, with a deep understanding and knowledge of financial development and the local situations in African countries. This book provides crucial reference material for academics, researchers, policymakers and students of all levels and is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand the nature of finance and sustainable development in Africa in relation to the rest of the world. It covers African countries, but with more emphasis on the sub-Saharan African region where the financial systems in many of the countries are still relatively underdeveloped.

Business transactions and partnerships across borders have become easier than ever due to globalization and global digital connectivity. As part of this shift in the business sphere, managers, executives, and strategists across industries must acclimate themselves with the challenges and opportunities for conducting business globally. International Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications presents the latest research innovations focusing on cross-cultural communications and training, international relations, multinational enterprises, outsourcing, international business strategies, and competitive advantage in the global marketplace. This publication is an exhaustive multi-volume work essential to academic and corporate libraries who serve researchers, scholars, business executives and professionals, and graduate-level business students.