Gender Legal Reforms in Zambia: Motivated by International Conventions
In 2023, Zambia ranked 17th among African countries on the World Bank’s Women Business and the Law index, a notable decline over a half century. The...
Gender Reform in Rwanda: Change Spurred by Tragedy
Rwanda is among Africa’s leaders in providing equal opportunity between women and men in the economy. Progress in achieving this substantial progress...
Economic backwardness in Russia
Western sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have markedly changed the constitution of President Putin’s inner circle. This column argues that...
The all-out aggression requires an all-out response
As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, the need for increased global support becomes more apparent. This column illustrates this need with two...
How the war is increasing inequality in Russia
The economic sanctions on Russia have had wide-ranging debilitating effects, from asset freezes to individuals’ travel bans and the dissolution of...
The economic toll of attacks on Ukraine’s power grid
Electricity blackouts caused by Russian rocket attacks on the power grid have become a daily occurrence in Ukraine. This column estimates the economic...
Flat tax reform in Ukraine: Lessons from Bulgaria
Developing a tax system which limits tax evasion is a key challenge for many emerging markets. This column argues that introducing a flat tax as a...
Ukraine’s wages and job loss trends during the war
Many statistical reports in Ukraine have been suspended since the start of Russia’s invasion, including on labour markets. This column uses wage...
Assessment of damages to Ukraine’s productive capacity
The ongoing war in Ukraine has resulted in large damages to both public infrastructure and private corporate assets. The extent of these damages will...
Measuring Ukraine’s private consumption during the war
As Russia’s invasion continues to ravage many parts of Ukraine, the flow of official statistical data has been erratic. This column outlines an...
Doing Business 2.0: A Better Guide for Policy Makers
In its two decades of existence, the annual Doing Business report became a flagship publication of the World Bank and one of the primary data...
Restarting Ukraine’s agricultural exports
Russia has imposed a naval blockade on Ukraine, suffocating the country’s agricultural exports. The last time that Ukraine experienced an export...
Ukraine’s recovery challenge
The economic damage in Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion is on a scale not seen in Europe since WWII. This column compares Ukraine’s economic...
Some Evidence of Regulatory Convergence
We find some evidence of regulatory convergence in four distinct areas of business activity over the 2005-2019 period. This convergence is most...
The loss of human capital in Ukraine
School disruptions due to war, pandemics, or natural disasters can have persistent negative effects on learning outcomes. This column estimates the...
Research highlight
Public Procurement in Law and Practice
American Economic Review, 112 (4), 1091-1117
