Abstract:Much current debate focuses on the role of growth in alleviating poverty. However, the majority of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models used in poverty and inequality analysis are static in nature. The inability of this kind of model to account for growth (accumulation) effects makes them inadequate for long run analysis of the poverty and inequality impacts of economic policies. They exclude accumulation effects and do not allow the study of the transition path of the economy where short run policy impacts are likely to be different from those of the long run. To overcome this limitation we use a sequential dynamic CGE microsimulation model that takes into account accumulation effects and makes it possible to study poverty and inequality through time. Changes in poverty are then decomposed into growth and distribution components in order to examine whether de-protection and factor accumulation are pro-poor or not.The model is applied to Senegalese data using a 1996 social accounting matrix and a 1995 survey of 3278 households. The main findings of this study are that trade liberalisation induces small increases in poverty and inequality in the short run as well as contractions in the initially protected agriculture and industrial sectors. In the long run, it enhances capital accumulation, particularly in the service and industrial sectors, and brings substantial decreases in poverty. However, a decomposition of poverty changes shows that income distribution worsens, with greater gains among urban dwellers and the non-poor.

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We examine the impacts of WTO agreements and domestic trade policy reforms on production, welfare and poverty in Bangladesh. A sequential dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, which takes into account accumulation effects, is used allowing for long-run analysis. The study is based on the 2000 SAM of Bangladesh including 15 production sectors, four factors of production (skilled and unskilled labor, agricultural and non-agricultural capital) and nine household groups (five in rural areas and four in urban areas) based on the year 2000 household survey. To examine the link between the macro effects and micro effects in terms of poverty, we use the representative household approach with actual intra-group income distributions.The study presents five simulations for which the major findings are: (1) the Doha scenario has negative implications for the overall macro economy, household welfare and poverty in Bangladesh. Terms of trade deteriorate and consumer prices, particularly food prices, increase more than nominal incomes, especially among poor households; (2) Free world trade has similar, but larger, impacts; (3) Domestic trade liberalization induces an expansion of agricultural and light manufacturing sectors, favorable changes in the domestic terms of trade. Although the shortrun welfare and poverty impacts are negative, these turn positive in the long run when capital has adjusted through new investments. Rising unskilled wage rates make the poorest households the biggest winners in terms of welfare and poverty reduction; (4) Domestic liberalization effects far outweigh those of free world trade when these scenarios are combined; and (5) Remittances constitute a powerful poverty-reducing tool given their greater importance in the income of the poor.

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Cet article présente la version statique du modèle d’équilibre général calculable (MEGC) développé pour le ministère des Finances du Québec. C’est un MEGC de grande taille, multisectoriel et birégional, du Québec et du reste du Canada. L’exposé est centré sur les taux effectifs marginaux d’imposition (TEMI) et la mobilité partielle du capital. L’objectif est de décrire une technique de modélisation qui permet d’aborder l’allocation du capital dans le cadre d’un modèle statique, bien que cette question soit fondamentalement dynamique. Les TEMI mesurent l’écart entre le taux de rendement payé aux détenteurs de capital et la valeur du produit marginal du capital. Ils synthétisent donc les multiples distorsions que peut créer la fiscalité dans les incitations touchant l’allocation des ressources. Leur utilisation devient intéressante lorsque le capital est mobile entre ses utilisations concurrentes. Dans la version statique du modèle, le capital n’est pas parfaitement mobile, comme cela serait approprié dans un modèle statique à très long terme; il est plutôt partiellement mobile entre industries et régions, la mobilité étant limitée par une borne supérieure sur la quantité de capital qui peut quitter une industrie donnée dans une région donnée. De plus, il y a dans le modèle un certain degré de mobilité internationale du capital, sous la forme d’une offre à élasticité-prix constante. Les résultats de simulation présentés montrent que le comportement du modèle est en accord avec les anticipations théoriques.