REGIONAL PROTECTION IN RUSSIA: HARMFUL OR BENEFICIAL?

Evgenia Kolomak

FINAL ACTIVITY REPORT

The work on the project during the second half of the fellowship year was carried out in accordance with the original timetable and with the suggestions of the mentors. The major activities were as follows:
1.    Reorganization of the literature review on the topic of the research, focusing of the review and stylized facts on the aims of the project.
2.    Development of the theoretical model.
Development of the theoretical model includes introduction in to the previous version of the regional government budget constrain and two other tools of the regional protection: tax exemptions and direct price regulation.
3.    Theoretical analysis of the model equilibrium.
The theoretical analysis of the equilibrium properties was developed and embraces not only the partial equilibrium analysis but general equilibrium analysis as well. The results have got analytical and graphical interpretations. The results produced testable empirical hypotheses.
4.    Updating of the empirical data.
Empirical data was updated and extended in terms of time period and new variables.
5.    Development of the empirical estimation.
The recommendations of the previous period discussions are to consider alternative hypotheses motivated by literature that the industrial protection is a result of social policy and to consider possible endogenous character of the regressors. The new empirical testing incorporated the recommendations. Method of the estimations was GMM for panel data. The estimations have not shown the significant dependence of the regional protection on the social problem the regions face.
6.    Discussion of the results.
The results of the work were discussed with the individual mentors and with the group mentor.
7.    Presentations:
The paper was presented at the Global Development Network conference in New-Delhi, India (January, 2004) among the works nominated for the Medals (http://www.gdnet.org/activities/annual_conferences/fifth_annual_conference). The results of the project were also presented at the public lecture in Central European University, Budapest (March, 2004).

PUBLICATION REPORT

Two research papers were published:
1.    “Regional protection: Positive Analysis” in “Problems of Economic Development in Russia: Regional and Industrial Aspects”, Novosibirsk, IEIE RAS, 2004 (in Russian).
2.    “Regional protection in Russia” in “Bulletin of Novosibirsk State University: Socio-Economic Studies” v. 3, N 1, (in Russian).
Paper “Regional protection in Russia: Positive Analysis” was uploaded at Global Development Network web-site (http://www.gdnet.org/activities/annual_conferences/fifth_annual_conference/conference_papers_by_author).
Policy paper “Why Russian Regional Authorities Subsidize Business?” is prepared.

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