|
SAARC
economic integration process is often viewed with skepticism and
perceived as one perpetuating the asymmetries further in a number
of key countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan but sometimes
also in Nepal and even Sri Lanka. These apprehensions have
affected the pace of regional economic integration in South Asia.
Therefore, there is need for a better understanding among the
people of the region about the gains from the regional economic
integration and opportunity cost of non-cooperation. Against that
background, the proposed project will quantify the gains from
regional economic integration for the region and for each of the
participant country. This will be accompanied by identification of
other benefits of regional economic integration such as its
potential in facilitating intra-regional FDI flows and building
supply capabilities and the pros and cons of regional versus
bilateral approaches. The study will also provide a way forward to
the region for optimizing the gains from regional economic
integration. The findings will be disseminated among the policy
makers and other opinion makers through Policy Workshops, RIS South
Asia Development and Cooperation Reports and Policy Briefs and
newspaper columns. It will be conducted in collaboration with
researchers from institutions in different SAARC countries. RIS is
currently discussing the proposal with ADB for possible funding.
It is expected to be launched in late 2004 and will have an
eighteen months time frame.
|
|