Who Can Explain The Mauritian Miracle: Meade, Romer, Sachs or Rodrik?
August 1, 2001
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Summary
This paper examines different explanations-initial conditions, openness to trade and FDI, and institutions-of the Mauritian growth experience since the mid-1970s. We show that arguments based on openness to trade and FDI are either misleading or incomplete, and the transmission mechanism insufficiently identified. However, even when correctly articulated, openness appears to be a proximate rather than an underlying explanation for the Mauritian experience. The institution-based explanation offers greater promise. Ultimately, however, the econometric results indicate that existing explanations may be incomplete. Some idiosyncratic factors, particularly Mauritian diversity and the responses to managing it, may provide the missing pieces in the story of Mauritius's success.
Subject: Agricultural commodities, Commodities, Exports, Imports, International trade, Tariffs, Taxes, Trade policy
Keywords: Africa, Agricultural commodities, Caribbean, cash cow, demographic inheritance, East Asia, EPZ wage, Exports, G. export processing zone, geography, growth, growth performance, Imports, institutions, Mauritian miracle, Mauritius, Mauritius from apparel export, Mauritius' Openness strategy, Mauritius' success, openness, openness strategy, openness to FDI, sources of growth, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tariffs, trade performance, Trade policy, trade policy regime, trading partners, WP
Pages:
42
Volume:
2001
DOI:
Issue:
116
Series:
Working Paper No. 2001/116
Stock No:
WPIEA1162001
ISBN:
9781451853933
ISSN:
1018-5941
