IMF Working Papers

Does Sequencing of Privatization Matter in Reforming Planned Economies?

By Aasim M. Husain, Ratna Sahay

February 1, 1992

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Aasim M. Husain, and Ratna Sahay. Does Sequencing of Privatization Matter in Reforming Planned Economies?, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 1992) accessed November 4, 2024
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

Although a centerpiece of the reform process in Central and Eastern Europe, large-scale privatization cannot be undertaken all at once and policymakers inevitably face the choice of privatizing some sectors before others. This paper analyzes the allocative efficiency implications of alternate sequences of privatization in a reforming planned economy with two sectors—an input-producing upstream sector and a final goods-producing downstream sector. The model focuses on the link, through a market for intermediate inputs, between the two sectors. The impact of exogenous shocks to the two sectors are highlighted to show how the inflexibility of public firms in responding to shocks constrains the production response of private firms operating in perfectly as well as imperfectly competitive markets.

Subject: Competition, Economic sectors, Economic theory, Financial markets, Privatization, Public sector, Supply shocks

Keywords: Central and Eastern Europe, Competition, Consumer demand, Demand shock, Downstream firm, Eastern Europe, Imperfect competition, Market structure, N firm, Privatization, Public firm, Public sector, Representative kth firm, Supply shocks, Upstream firm, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    38

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 1992/013

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA0131992

  • ISBN:

    9781451924732

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941

Notes

Also published in Staff Papers, Vol. 39, No. 4, December 1992.