General Description:
Sustainable economic development is the primary goal of all developing countries. The quest for development in the developing countries has remained incessant. Despite the endeavors made by governments, international development partners and global donors, achieving economic development has remained elusive. As one of the developing countries, Ethiopia has been facing the challenge of development despite the rapidity of growth registered over the past decade. Recently, it is widely recognized that the overall business environment, governance systems and rapid industrialization play an important role in determining the pace and process of economic growth and development. Sound business environment can serve as an instrument for capital accumulation, and increasing production and productivity which are essential for the overall growth and development. Importantly, creating sound business environment and achieving development needs efficient governance built on accountability of political leaders and sound institutions at different tiers of government. Moreover, industrialization is at the heart of successful structural transformation and sustainable growth. Understanding inter-relationship among enterprise development, governance, industrialization and development is quite complex and very important too. Thus, this theme would enable us in advancing our understanding of these complexities involved and underlying explanations for observed economic performance of a nation.
Aim:
The theme aims to investigate the inter-relationship among business and institutional environment, governance, private enterprise development, industrialization and overall economic development. It particularly seeks to further our understanding of the complex processes shaping economic performance of a nation and also draw key policy lessons that are instrumental to improving progress towards economic development and societal welfare.
Sub-Themes:
Sub-theme 1: Industrialization, Structural Transformation, Employment, and Inclusive growth
Rapid industrialization is at the heart of successful structural transformation, employment creation and sustainable growth. This sub-theme aims to investigate the effectiveness of Ethiopia’s industrialization strategies and policy packages in achieving structural transformation, creation of broad-based employment opportunities, and inclusive growth.
Sub-theme 2: Development Financing, foreign direct investment, international trade, and Economic growth
Foreign trade, domestic and foreign sources of financing and foreign direct investment play a key role in the development process of developing countries. This sub-theme intends to examine the relative effectiveness of different sources of financing and international trade in enhancing the pace and sustainability of economic growth.
Sub-theme 3: Leadership, governance and Public Sector Reform
Creating sound business environment at country level and achieving sustainable growth needs efficient governance built on accountability of political leaders and sound institutions at different tiers of government. This sub-theme aims to examine the role of institutional quality, leadership and governance in the delivery of quality service to the public and facilitating economic growth.
Sub-theme 4: Institutional and business environment, Entrepreneurship, MNCs-domestic firm linkages and Private Enterprise development:
It is widely recognized that the overall institutional and business environment of a country play an important role in attracting foreign firms and determining the growth of private enterprises in a country. This sub-theme aims to examine the role of institutional quality, business environment and overall business-government relationships in attracting foreign direct investment and private enterprise development.
Sub-theme 5: Supply Chain, Trade facilitation and port management
A supply chain consists of two or more legally separated organizations linked by material, information, and financial flows. Supply chain efficiency is determined, among others, by efficiency in trade facilitation and regulatory requirements set by customs and port authorities. This theme aims to investigate the interplay among supply chain, trade facilitation and port management.
Sub-theme six: Tax compliance, Corporate Finance and corporate Governance
Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Corporate governance is expected to affect the relationship between a firm’s tax compliance behavior and its financial performance. This sub-theme examines the interrelationships among corporate governance, corporate finance and tax compliance of companies.