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Indonesia is on the cusp of transformative take-off, poised to become a major economic power not just in Asia, but also on the global-stage. This book is a pioneering attempt in comprehensively assessing all attributes, conditions and policies for 33 Indonesian provinces and Indonesia's trajectory as an emerging middle power. It contains papers and data-sets presented in July 2012, at ACI's signature Annual Conference. The information that was shared at the conference and presented in the book posit a future where tens of millions of Indonesians will be lifted out of poverty to become a self-sustaining middle-class, which will in turn drive the country into a global leadership role in the 21st century. It is a compelling value-added proposition for policy simulations enabling policy-makers to identify relative weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of individual 33 provinces, guiding them to prioritise areas in crafting policies and development strategies.

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China is emerging as one of the economic giants of the world, and is gaining international influence and global leadership that commensurate with its rise. China's performance will have far-reaching consequences on whether the economic awakening of the country, which began more than three decades ago, can become a good model to be emulated by other developing economies.This book is a collection of policy papers and data-sets for the 34 Greater China economies. With a comprehensive approach to competitiveness, the research by Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, takes into account different factors that collectively shape the ability of a nation to achieve substantial and inclusive economic development over a sustained period of time.ACI's methodology goes beyond rankings as it conducts policy simulations on how each economy can improve its competitiveness. These policy simulations are a compelling value-added proposition as they enable policymakers, industry leaders and administrators to identify relative challenges and opportunities, and to prioritise areas in crafting public policies and development strategies.

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India is emerging as one of the economic giants of the world, and is gaining international influence and global leadership as the world's largest democracy. India's performance will have far-reaching consequences on whether the economic awakening of the country, which began more than two decades ago, can become a good model to be emulated by other developing economies.This book is a collection of policy papers and data-sets for the 35 states and federal territories of India. With a comprehensive approach to competitiveness, the research done by Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore takes into account different factors that collectively shape the ability of a nation to achieve substantial and inclusive economic development over a sustained period of time.ACI's methodology goes beyond rankings to conduct policy simulations on how each state or federal territory can improve its competitiveness. These policy simulations are a compelling value-added proposition enabling policymakers, industry leaders and administrators to identify relative challenges and opportunities, and to prioritise areas when crafting policies and development strategies.

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With the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in December 2015, ASEAN is at a crossroads once again. Having braved through various crises since its establishment in 1967, how can ASEAN leverage on increasing integration to maintain its growth momentum in the pursuit of greater competitiveness and prosperity? Combining leading-edge research methodologies with an extensive database, the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, has evaluated and tracked competitiveness for the ten ASEAN members annually since 2000. In this second edition, the competitiveness ranking and simulation study for the ASEAN-10 economies are improved and updated with 121 indicators across four environments. The Geweke causality analysis is employed to offer deeper insights into the transitional economies as well as the top performers in the region. These novel empirical frameworks are placed within the overarching strategic thrust of the ASEAN-centric Asia Economic Connectivity Vision 2030 which encompasses astute workable policies through five broad proposals for furthering regional economic cooperation in Asia.

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This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) undertakes rigorous empirical research relating to competitiveness of states and federal territories in India. The competitiveness framework employed by ACI computes the rankings for the 35 states and federal territories of India by factoring in a plethora of socio-economic development indicators that determine competitiveness. In this book, ACI's competitiveness analysis employs 75 different indicators across four different environments to capture the dynamics of competitiveness in a holistic way at the sub-national level. Further, the book produces a 'What-If' competitiveness simulation exercise to identify the specific policy areas that each state or federal territory must focus on to improve their rankings. Along with competitiveness, the book also presents a comprehensive analysis of issues relating to agricultural productivity at the sub-national level. Specifically, the book discusses the relevance and importance of raising total factor productivity in the agriculture sector in India at the state level and also brings out the extent of intra-state and intra-regional disparities prevalent in the country.

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This book is the only annual study that dissects Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness at both the provincial level (covering 34 provinces) and the regional level (covering six major island groups). Based on a rich dataset of 103 indicators, the study covers four environments of competitiveness: (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses, and Manpower Conditions, and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development. It also presents each province and region's comparative strengths and weaknesses, and conducts 'what-if' policy simulations to propose policy suggestions.

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In the tradition of the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS), our research publications make a distinctive contribution to the understanding of economic development in Asia by evaluating and tracking competitiveness for the ten ASEAN member states annually since 2000 through combining leading-edge methodologies with an extensive dataset. In this third edition, the competitiveness ranking and simulation study for ASEAN-10 are improved and updated with 121 indicators across four environments. An in-depth assessment of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) offers important implications for future integration initiatives in the broader Asia Pacific region. Novel empirical frameworks are also applied to provide an estimation of annual agricultural Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth in eight ASEAN economies and to shed light on the drivers of growth in the travel and tourism industry in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

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This is the only annual study of Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness landscape of 34 Indonesian provinces that is conducted impartially and aimed towards Indonesian policymakers as well as the international audience. With 103 indicators covering four environments and 12 sub-environments of competitiveness, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and 'what-if' policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each province. This edition also features a new structure and graphical presentation that offer investors an overview of each province's competitiveness landscape.

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The Chinese economy has been playing an increasingly significant role on the global stage. This book is the sixth annual project of Asia Competitiveness Institute studying competitiveness at the sub-national level of Greater China. ACI's flagship competitiveness study not only adopts a comprehensive framework to measure competitiveness by incorporating 102 indicators under four environments and 11 sub-environments, but is also undertaken at the sub-national level to account for the considerable disparities within a large economy like Greater China. The comparative strengths and weaknesses based on the scores and rankings as well as the what-if simulation analysis can be used to formulate development strategies that are specific and of practical value for each sub-national economy and region.The Shapley methodology adopted by ACI introduces a novel approach for the assignment of weights to the various indicators that constitute competitiveness. This concept has introduced an element of objectivity in terms of the assignment of weights. The findings using the Shapley value also tend to validate the robustness of results obtained from the competitiveness studies over the past years.Moreover, the empirical research featured in this book attempts to understand the drivers of exports of Mainland China provinces, with a specific focus on real effective exchange rate movements and volatility. Nowadays with the international flows of goods and capital becoming ubiquitous and comprising an important aspect of national competitiveness, the role of exchange rate is drawing much more policy attention. In view of this, the research findings presented in this book make an important academic and policy contribution by empirically examining the relationship between exports and exchange rate.Finally, the timing of this publication makes it indispensable to include some dedicated discussions of the trade disputes between the US and China. Several topics would be discussed in this book, including China's protection on Intellectual Property Rights, its violation of World Trade Organisation rules, challenges to its economic growth, the development of its three regional megalopolises, and how to mitigate the impact and ramification of its trade war against the US. This book attempts to identify the growing concerns in the US-China trade tension and provide suggestions for China's development in the future.

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Drawing on the studies by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS), this book titled Balanced, Sustainable and Competitiveness Enhancement Study for Vietnam: A Critical Evaluation with Development Potentials, which is a joint research collaboration between the National Research Project on Improving Vietnam's Competitiveness and ACI-LKYSPP-NUS, provides a detailed assessment of the Vietnamese economy. We contend that Vietnam is at a critical juncture in its development whereby a new wave of far-reaching reforms is required to address persistent structural weaknesses and unleash the country's economic potentials. In addition, Vietnam's new growth model must tackle widening regional disparities which puts Vietnam at risk of becoming one country with two economies where the southern region of Vietnam pulls too far ahead of its northern and central counterparts. Based on our analysis, we propose a comprehensive policy roadmap for Vietnam to achieve balanced and sustainable development for enhanced competitiveness. The successful completion of this reform agenda will set Vietnam firmly on a dynamic growth path which will allow the country to catch up with the more advanced ASEAN member states by 2040.

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Indonesia's diverse economic landscape and growing importance in the global and regional stages warrant deeper understanding of the economy at sub-national levels. This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) is an update of ACI's annual study of the competitiveness landscape of 34 Indonesian provinces. With 100 indicators covering four environments and 12 sub-environments of competitiveness, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses, and 'what-if' policy simulations aimed at policy suggestions for each province. This fourth instalment continues to feature a structure and graphical presentation that offer investors an overview of each province's competitiveness landscape. Coupled with evidence-based findings and analyses, this book is a recommended read for policymakers, stakeholders and general audience interested in the economic developments of Indonesia's provinces.

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This book is an update of the annual flagship study by the Asia Competitiveness Institute at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, that dissects Indonesia's sub-national competitiveness at both the provincial level (covering 34 provinces) and the regional level (covering six major island groups). Based on a rich dataset of 100 indicators, the study covers four environments of competitiveness: (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses, and Manpower Conditions, and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development. It also presents each province and region's comparative strengths and weaknesses, and conducts 'what-if' policy simulations to propose policy suggestions.Aside from exploring competitiveness, the book also features empirical research on the determinants of growth slowdown in Indonesian provinces and its impact on policy implications. It also features the inaugural Ease of Doing Business Index on Attractiveness to Investors, Business Friendliness and Competitive Policies (EDB Index ABC) for Indonesian provinces. Coupled with practical insights and policy implications, this book is a recommended read for policymakers, researchers, and the general audience interested in Indonesia's economic development.

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This book by the Asia Competitiveness Institute introduces a new ease of doing business index that aims to allow for a better approximation of ease of doing business conditions in India's sub-national economies. The approach takes into account three major aspects of doing business, namely (a) Attractiveness to Investors, (b) Business Friendliness, and (c) Competitive Policies. The bottom-up approach considers the various operational issues that firms face at the ground level, with the emphasis being on de facto issues.The analysis provided in the book not only stands up to academic scrutiny as it is grounded in rigorous methodological foundations, but also remains accessible and appealing to policymakers with the co-authors recommending appropriate policy interventions to improve the ease of doing business of India's sub-national economies.

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This book undertakes rigorous empirical research on competitiveness of the sub-national economies of India. One of the cornerstones of Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI)'s research strategies is to factor in the diversity of sub-national economies in a large and diverse country like India and undertake rigorous research that will inform policymakers in these economies. ACI's competitiveness framework computes rankings for all the sub-national economies of India by accounting for a plethora of socio-economic development indicators that determine competitiveness.Into its fourth edition, this book entitled 2016 Annual Competitiveness and Growth Slowdown Analysis for Sub-National Economies of India presents our annual update of competitiveness analysis of India's sub-national economies. ACI's competitiveness analysis employs 75 different indicators across four different environments to capture the dynamics of competitiveness in a holistic way at the sub-national level. The book also has a What-if competitiveness simulation exercise to identify the specific policy areas that each sub-national economy must focus on to improve its rankings.Further to an analysis of competitiveness, the book delves deeper into understanding the dynamics of economic growth of the various sub-national economies in India, which is a significant value-addition to the related literature as the book has a comprehensive and dedicated discussion on the prospects of and determinants of growth slowdown at the sub-national level.

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This book is an update of the competitiveness rankings for Greater China economies at the sub-national and regional level with the latest available data. The study uses a comprehensive methodology which measures competitiveness across four unique dimensions to provide an in-depth competitiveness analysis for the 34 economies and the five regions of Greater China. It then recommends policy prescriptions which would be relevant to each economy and region based on their specific strengths and weaknesses.Aside from exploring competitiveness, the book also analyses the growth slowdown phenomenon for Greater China economies by income thresholds. This volume is recommended for scholars and researchers interested in China's economic development.

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This book titled 2017 Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Impact of Exchange Rates on Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to ASEAN Economies recount the development experience of ASEAN over the past 50 years, describe the long-term mega-trends which will shape ASEAN's development trajectory, and propose a development vision with actionable policy recommendations for ASEAN to become the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2030.Into its fifth edition, the book updates the annual economic competitive analysis for ASEAN-10 conducted by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI). It also introduces an innovation to the institute's methodological framework which is the use of Shapley values to come up with objective weights for indicators, sub-environments and environments in the competitiveness index. This methodological innovation not only adds an element of objectivity in terms of the assignment of weights, but also validates the robustness of results obtained from the competitiveness studies over the past years.Recognising the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) to growth and development in the region, the book also presents an empirical investigation of the drivers of FDI inflows, with specific focus on the effects of exchange rate and its volatility. For a group of economies looking to leverage on FDI and trade to transform themselves into the fourth-largest economy in the world, it is important for ASEAN to achieve high external competitiveness, especially in terms of the member states' real effective exchange rates (REER). These research findings make important academic and policy contributions by teasing out the relationship between REER levels, volatility and FDI in the ASEAN context.Finally, the book collates speeches by academics and policy-makers on issues of key interests to the future development of ASEAN. It contains the reflection on the ASEAN Charter by Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. Moreover, the discussions on the One Belt One Road initiative and its implication for the region by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore; and Professor Liew Mun Leong, Chairman of Surbana Jurong and Changi Airport Group as well as Provost Chair and Professor of NUS make this book a valuable compendium for policy-makers, thinkers, and anyone who has an interest in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

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After more than three decades of rapid growth, China is now entering into the New Normal Era, which will be characterised by slower but sustainable, quality growth for several decades to come. How China will fare under the New Normal Era matters not only for itself but also for its great impact on global prosperity.While presenting as the second instalment of ACI's annual tracking of the dynamics of competitiveness among 34 Greater China economies, this volume also includes the results of the inaugural regional competitiveness analysis for five regions of Greater China. As regional imbalance in socioeconomic advancement is a serious issue China has to face up to under the New Normal Era, the results of such competitiveness analysis at provincial and regional levels offer insights for policy-makers to help address concerns associated with the regional disparity in development, and facilitate industry leaders and other stakeholders in identifying challenges and opportunities for sound decision making.

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This book is a world-class report by the Asia Competitiveness Institute, updated annually to analyse Indonesia's competitiveness at the provincial level. With 104 indicators covering four environments, the study's unique methodology incorporates comparative strengths and weaknesses. Apart from scores and rankings, what-if policy simulations offer various provinces practical prescriptions to improve overall competitiveness to accelerate economic growth and development in a balanced, fair and sustainable way. Such qualitative and quantitative analyses in collaboration with various stakeholders generate an exciting pathway for Indonesia to attain its rightful place in both the Asian region and global contexts.