Poverty and monetary transfers in Belarus: Some options for gradual reforms

Abstract

In this paper we shall be analyzing gradual poverty reducing reforms for monetary transfers in Belarus. Some evidence is offered in support of the claim that the effectiveness of the existing 'categorical' system of transfers might be improved by redirecting resources to specific groups of households. Using a decomposition of households into socio-economic groups, feasible marginal reforms are suggested, and their robustness is checked by both experimenting with different poverty lines and introducing a simplified form of labour supply responsiveness. Based on these findings, a microsimulation of a hypothetical transfer change among different groups of households is run. According to this microsimulation, all aggregate poverty indicators could be reduced.

Fiscal Consequences of Monetary Integration within a Common Economic Area: The Case of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia

“…The most important part of the production process is the manufacturing industry (32.6% of GDP). Transition started in Belarus at the beginning of the 1990s similar to other CIS countries; however, the reform process has been significantly slower due to a strong resistance of the government to radical economic reforms (Liberati 2001). The attitude of the government to market reforms has been emphasized in the guidelines of social and economic development set for 1996-2005.…”

Data Watch: Research Data from Transition Economies

“…Access to household budget surveys must generally be obtained through the local statistical office, while LSMS data may generally be obtained through the World Bank's website, although for some countries, permission must be obtained before the data can be accessed. Household budget surveys have been used to analyze income inequality (Kattuman and Redmond, 2001;Wilder, Benedict and Viies, 1999;Newberry, 1995); social safety nets (Liberati, 2001); poverty (Pentaraki and Mergos, 1999); welfare of specific subgroups of the population (Hancock and Pudney, 1997); nutrition and food demand (Miquel and Laisney, 2001); savings behavior (Kim, 1997); and demand for specific items (Skafar, 1998).…”