Archive for January 7, 2011

Political issues re risks in infrastructure PPPs in Asia

Posted: January 7, 2011 in ASEAN, China, Corruption, Political economy, Public-private partnerships (PPP), Rule of law, Southeast Asia, Tariffs
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1.  Why do countries with less checks and balances also experience greater number of project failures? In the general political science literature, the notion of checks and balances was considered as a powerful antidote to the abuse of power (i.e., monarchical power).  Concentration of governmental power in one person or a single group more often leads [...]

Why is China more prone to freeze tariffs than ASEAN countries?

Posted: January 7, 2011 in ASEAN, China, Public-private partnerships (PPP), Southeast Asia, Tariffs
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It must be pointed out that China is an economy transitioning from central planning to market capitalism under the auspices of an authoritarian political regime.  For this reason, ubiquitous institutions that we may take for granted in jurisdictions with a dissimilar history such as contracts, private property rights, courts, etc. are not as fully developed [...]

Corruption in the Philippine military

Posted: January 7, 2011 in Corruption, GMA, Maguindanao massacre, Philippine politics, Political economy
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The on-going legal and extra-legal contortions regarding the ultimate fate of the plundering general Carlos Garcia (ret.) that might allow him (and his family members) off the hook induced me to share this paper. The military establishment is one of a society’s institutions that is not immune to, or may even be particularly prone to corruption.  As an agency [...]