South Asia Regional Study
Economic Development in South Asia and the Impact of Globalization1
ISHRAT HUSAIN
I would like to address three questions pertaining to the topic assigned to me this morning. The first question is: How have the South Asian economies fared in the last decade and what are their prospects for the future. The second question is: How well they have done compared to other competitor developing regions particularly East Asia? Finally, how have these countries positioned themselves to meet the challenges of globalization and what should they be doing to maximize the benefits of globalization? Economic situation and prospects South Asia has grown at 5.6 percent in the decade of 1990s – faster than for lowincome countries but slower than the East Asian countries. The wide ranging reforms that have been implemented in this region during the last ten years or so have brought about some fundamental changes in the economic landscape and removed some of the major constraints that were retarding the progress of this region. Let me recapitulate them briefly. First, there is now a broad political consensus about the thrust and direction of economic policies in almost all the countries. The defeat of BJP Government in the recent Indian elections should not be construed as an indictment of reforms but a manifestation of the growing impatience of the electorate that these reforms have not been deep, pride and fast enough to touch the lives of the majority of the population. This political consensus has survived many changes of the governments in India since 1991 and the alternating shift of power in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Second, reliance on private sector as the main investor, producer and distributor of goods and services has replaced the old notion of the commanding heights model of the economy in which State and State-owned enterprises were the main tools of industrial development. The demise of Licence Raj has given rise to a healthy competitive environment in
ISHRAT HUSAIN
I would like to address three questions pertaining to the topic assigned to me this morning. The first question is: How have the South Asian economies fared in the last decade and what are their prospects for the future. The second question is: How well they have done compared to other competitor developing regions particularly East Asia? Finally, how have these countries positioned themselves to meet the challenges of globalization and what should they be doing to maximize the benefits of globalization? Economic situation and prospects South Asia has grown at 5.6 percent in the decade of 1990s – faster than for lowincome countries but slower than the East Asian countries. The wide ranging reforms that have been implemented in this region during the last ten years or so have brought about some fundamental changes in the economic landscape and removed some of the major constraints that were retarding the progress of this region. Let me recapitulate them briefly. First, there is now a broad political consensus about the thrust and direction of economic policies in almost all the countries. The defeat of BJP Government in the recent Indian elections should not be construed as an indictment of reforms but a manifestation of the growing impatience of the electorate that these reforms have not been deep, pride and fast enough to touch the lives of the majority of the population. This political consensus has survived many changes of the governments in India since 1991 and the alternating shift of power in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Second, reliance on private sector as the main investor, producer and distributor of goods and services has replaced the old notion of the commanding heights model of the economy in which State and State-owned enterprises were the main tools of industrial development. The demise of Licence Raj has given rise to a healthy competitive environment in