In Many developing countries, the service sectors are underdeveloped and inefficient, and many new services do not exist. One problem lies in the difficulties in measuring the value added in service sectors and services trade; and another factor links to the low level of openness. Greater openness in services holds the potential of bringing gains to these countries based on efficiency gains from deeper division of labor, specialization, services as intermediate inputs to the goods sector, and “learning by doing” in new types of services.
Recent studies found that historic deficiencies in the statistical system has led to under-estimation of service sector contribution to GDP, as well as inadequate attention to the productivity-enhancing effect (Triplett and Bosworth, 2004). Studies also found that measures of services policy reform are statistically significant explanatory variables for the post-1990 economic performance of transition economies (Eschenbach and Hoekman, 2005). A recent study suggests that allowing foreign entry into services industries contributes to improved performance of downstream manufacturing sectors (Arnold, Javorcik, Mattoo, 2005). This workshop is to raise awareness on services trade as a potential engine of growth, share knowledge and results from existing studies and country experiences, and broaden the Bank’s dialogue on growth diagnostics. Further training on this topic may be organized for client countries if there is a demand.
Topics and Speakers:
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Services policy reform and economic growth in transition economies - by Bernard Hoekman, Sr. Advisor, DECRG
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Productivity in the US Services Sector: New Sources of Growth - by Barry P. Bosworth, Sr. Fellow, The Brookings Institution
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The Productivity Effects of Services Liberalization: Evidence from the Czech Republic - by Aaditya Mattoo, on a joint paper with Jens Arnold and Beata S. Javorcik, DECRG
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