Regulatory Environment and Development Outcomes: Empirical Evidence from Transition Economies
Regulatory Environment and Development Outcomes: Empirical Evidence from Transition Economies

Summary/Abstract: The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of the regulatory envi-ronment and the institutional quality on economic growth and the share of the informal economy in transition economies. We use a sample of 30 transition economies over the period 2005 – 2011 and observe the relationships within three geographic sub-groups, three regulatory sub-groups and pre- versus during the recent crisis. Results suggest that less cumbersome regulation improves growth if combined with better institutions. Both channels – the direct one working via firm creation and the indirect one working via informal economy reduction – are found to exert positive and significant effect on growth. The composite effects are the strongest for countries with less business-friendly regulations and institutional environment, for regulatory chapters potentially relevant for the entire life-cycle of the firm, such as investors’ protection, contract enforcement and trade, and during the crisis.

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