45,478 research outputs found
ADB–OECD Study on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for SMEs: Lessons from Recent Crises
During the era of global financial uncertainty, stable access to appropriate funding sources has been much harder for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The global financial crisis impacted SMEs and entrepreneurs disproportionately, exacerbating their traditional financing constraints. The financial conditions of many SMEs were weakened by the drop in demand for goods and services and the credit tightening. The sovereign debt crisis that hit several European countries contributed to further deterioration in bank lending activities, which negatively affected private sector development.
The global regulatory response to financial crises, such as the Basel Capital Accord, while designed to reduce systemic risks may also constrain bank lending to SMEs. In particular, Basel III requires banks to have tighter risk management as well as greater capital and liquidity. Resulting asset preference and deleveraging of banks, particularly European banks with significant presence in Asia, could limit the availability of funding for SMEs in Asia and the Pacific. Lessons from the recent financial crises have motivated many countries to consider SME access to finance beyond conventional bank credit and to diversify their national financial system.
Improving SME access to finance is a policy priority at the country and global level. Poor access to finance is a critical inhibiting factor to the survival and growth potential of SMEs. Financial inclusion is thus key to the development of the SME sector, which is a driver of job creation and social cohesion and takes a pivotal role in scaling up national economies.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have recognized that it is crucial to develop a comprehensive range of policy options on SME finance, including innovative financing models. With this in mind, sharing Asian and OECD experiences on SME financing would result in insightful discussions on improving SME access to finance at a time of global financial uncertainty. Based on intensive discussions in two workshops organized by ADB in Manila on 6–7 March 2013 and by OECD in Paris on 21 October 2013, the two organizations together compiled this study report on enhancing financial accessibility for SMEs, especially focusing on lessons from the past and recent crises in Asia and OECD countries.
The report takes a comparative look at ADB and OECD experiences, and aims to identify promising policy solutions for creating an SME base that is resilient to crisis, from a viewpoint of access to finance, and which can help drive growth and development
Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Less Developed Countries-Disbursements 1966-1967
The gains from preferential tax regimes reconsidered
The EU policy against harmful tax competition aims at eliminating tax policies targeted at attracting the internationally mobile tax base. We construct an imperfectly competitive model of costly trade between two countries. In setting their corporate taxes, governments non-cooperatively decide whether to discriminate between internationally mobile and immobile firms. We find the Nash equilibrium tax regimes. When trade costs are high countries impose a uniform tax on all firms while nations will discriminate between mobile and immobile firms when costs are low. At some trade costs, fiscal competition results in tax discrimination despite uniform taxation being socially preferable
Light and Shadows of the Korean Healthcare System
This article reviewed achievements and challenges of the National Health Insurance of the Republic of Korea and shared thoughts on its future directions. Starting with large workplaces of 500 or more employees in 1977, Korea's National Health Insurance successfully achieved universal coverage within just 12 yr in 1989. This amazing pace of growth was possible due to a positive combination of strong political will and rapid economic growth. Key features of Korea's experience in achieving universal coverage include 1) gradual expansion of coverage, 2) careful consideration to maintain sound insurance finances, and 3) introducing multiple health insurance societies (multiple payer system) at the initial stage. Introduction of the health insurance has dramatically improved Korea's health indicators and has fueled the rapid growth of basic medical infrastructure including medical institutions and professionals. On the other hand, the successful expansion was not free from side-effects. Although coverage has gradually expanded, benefits are still relatively low. The current situation warrants concern because coverage expansion is driven by welfare populism asserted by irresponsible political slogans and lacks a social consensus on basic principles and philosophy regarding the expansion. Concentration of patients to a few large prestigious hospitals as well as the inefficiencies resulting from a colossal single-payer system should also be pointed out
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Role in International Law
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has played, and continues to play, an important and largely unrecognized role as a lawmaking body. The OECD occupies a unique space in the international lawmaking field, in large part because it was not established with lawmaking as a priority. In a small number of cases, however, it has played a significant role in crafting the emerging architecture of global governance. Case studies of the hazardous waste trade, the Bribery Convention, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are presented to demonstrate a clear pattern. A topic of major concern arises on the international stage, such as hazardous waste trade, bribery, or corporate conduct. Efforts within the United Nations or other international organizations to draft an agreement are unsuccessful. The OECD proceeds on its own and provides an agreement that serves as the basis for future negotiations in fora with wider membership. The keys to this approach are opportunism and path dependence. The OECD serves as an advantageous forum to host negotiations, in part because of its significant technical expertise, in part because of its membership of like-minded countries, and in part because of its closed proceedings. This can be a very effective strategy to provide the tracks on which the train of international agreements proceeds. But it does not always work. A case study on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment explores the OECD’s greatest failure in international lawmaking
Developmental Neurotoxicity Study of Dietary Bisphenol A in Sprague-Dawley Rats
This study was conducted to determine the potential of bisphenol A (BPA) to induce functional and/or morphological effects to the nervous system of F1 offspring from dietary exposure during gestation and lactation according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for the study of developmental neurotoxicity. BPA was offered to female Sprague-Dawley Crl:CD (SD) rats (24 per dose group) and their litters at dietary concentrations of 0 (control), 0.15, 1.5, 75, 750, and 2250 ppm daily from gestation day 0 through lactation day 21. F1 offspring were evaluated using the following tests: detailed clinical observations (postnatal days [PNDs] 4, 11, 21, 35, 45, and 60), auditory startle (PNDs 20 and 60), motor activity (PNDs 13, 17, 21, and 61), learning and memory using the Biel water maze (PNDs 22 and 62), and brain and nervous system neuropathology and brain morphometry (PNDs 21 and 72). For F1 offspring, there were no treatment-related neurobehavioral effects, nor was there evidence of neuropathology or effects on brain morphometry. Based on maternal and offspring body weight reductions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for systemic toxicity was 75 ppm (5.85 and 13.1 mg/kg/day during gestation and lactation, respectively), with no treatment-related effects at lower doses or nonmonotonic dose responses observed for any parameter. There was no evidence that BPA is a developmental neurotoxicant in rats, and the NOAEL for developmental neurotoxicity was 2250 ppm, the highest dose tested (164 and 410 mg/kg/day during gestation and lactation, respectively)
Suitability of pesticide risk indicators for less developed countries: a comparison
Pesticide risk indicators provide simple support in the assessment of environmental and health risks
from pesticide use, and can therefore inform policies to foster a sustainable interaction of agriculture
with the environment. For their relative simplicity, indicators may be particularly useful under conditions
of limited data availability and resources, such as in Less Developed Countries (LDCs). However,
indicator complexity can vary significantly, in particular between those that rely on an exposure–toxicity
ratio (ETR) and those that do not. In addition, pesticide risk indicators are usually developed for Western
contexts, which might cause incorrect estimation in LDCs. This study investigated the appropriateness
of seven pesticide risk indicators for use in LDCs, with reference to smallholding agriculture in Colombia.
Seven farm-level indicators, among which 3 relied on an ETR (POCER, EPRIP, PIRI) and 4 on a non-ETR
approach (EIQ, PestScreen, OHRI, Dosemeci et al., 2002), were calculated and then compared by means
of the Spearman rank correlation test. Indicators were also compared with respect to key indicator characteristics,
i.e. user friendliness and ability to represent the system under study. The comparison of the
indicators in terms of the total environmental risk suggests that the indicators not relying on an ETR
approach cannot be used as a reliable proxy for more complex, i.e. ETR, indicators. ETR indicators, when
user-friendly, show a comparative advantage over non-ETR in best combining the need for a relatively
simple tool to be used in contexts of limited data availability and resources, and for a reliable estimation
of environmental risk. Non-ETR indicators remain useful and accessible tools to discriminate between
different pesticides prior to application. Concerning the human health risk, simple algorithms seem more
appropriate for assessing human health risk in LDCs. However, further research on health risk indicators
and their validation under LDC conditions is needed
Drivers of Innovation Using BIM in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Firms
This material may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the American Society of Civil Engineers. This material may be found at https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784482889.023[Otros] Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms need to innovate in order to increase
their business¿ competitiveness. Many companies around the world are considering the
possibility of implementing building information modelling (BIM) in their projects without
knowing its actual benefits for the business. The current literature recognizes certain barriers to
BIM implementation; therefore, considering these barriers, this work proposes a holistic model
that allows managers to explain how BIM can play an important role for the success of the AEC
companies. The pillars of the model are a collaborative culture and training of employees in
order to break down technological barriers. This way, BIM can help AEC companies to innovate.
This proposal takes into consideration the three phases of the infrastructure life-cycle. In the
design phase, the model considers 3D shape, scheduling (4D), costs (5D), and sustainability
(6D). In the construction phase, the model focuses on supply chain and quality management.
During the operation phase, the model is related to the virtual management of maintenance
activities. Drivers of innovation should consider several facets: marketing, technology,
organization, processes, and products. This model aims to enlighten the positive effects of a good
strategic management using BIM on innovation activities in each of the phases of the
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