Aekapol Chongvilaivan

Domestic resource mobilization is critical for enhanced resilience and financing sustainable growth. Increasing numbers of developing and emerging-market countries face fiscal or debt sustainability pressures following successive shocks affecting public finances. Resilient responses typically involve local action and information generation with national and cross-border coordination and cofinancing. This report shows how digital transformation involving tax and fiscal policy rationalization, as well as new institutional arrangements, can help achieve sustainable outcomes. Case studies are based on federal and unitary countries, along with special issues related to small island states. These include South Asia, as well as the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste-and Mexico-to highlight digital transformation possibilities across countries and political systems. Despite differences in the political economy and institutional structures, there are common themes in relation to managing shocks and digital transformation. Policy cross-fertilization, especially between Asia and Latin America, demonstrates the importance of shared experiences across developing countries.

Due to technical advances in production and communication technology, outsourcing – contracting out production of intermediate materials and services – has affected the economic growth of the ASEAN region. This new book fills an important gap in the literature looking at the impact outsourcing has on labour markets, its subtle effects on regional economies and policy implications. Shandre Thangavelu and Aekapol Chongvilaivan investigate various impacts of outsourcing on labour markets, such as its effects on labour productivity, skill upgrading, human capital, and training, in ASEAN economies with a focus on the experience of the two ASEAN countries as a global hub of outsourcing: Singapore and Thailand. This book approaches these research inquiries by developing several econometric models, including primal production functions and dual cost functions, among others. The empirical evidence this book reveals provides interesting insights into and implications on labour and industry development.

Due to technical advances in production and communication technology, outsourcing – contracting out production of intermediate materials and services – has affected the economic growth of the ASEAN region. This new book fills an important gap in the literature looking at the impact outsourcing has on labour markets, its subtle effects on regional economies and policy implications. Shandre Thangavelu and Aekapol Chongvilaivan investigate various impacts of outsourcing on labour markets, such as its effects on labour productivity, skill upgrading, human capital, and training, in ASEAN economies with a focus on the experience of the two ASEAN countries as a global hub of outsourcing: Singapore and Thailand. This book approaches these research inquiries by developing several econometric models, including primal production functions and dual cost functions, among others. The empirical evidence this book reveals provides interesting insights into and implications on labour and industry development.

This book provides complete, yet nontechnical, analyses of production fragmentation effects and thus targets a wide range of readers -- including academics, researchers, policy makers, students, entrepreneurs, and anyone who is interested in this subject. It investigates the economic impacts of production fragmentation in Southeast Asia with a focus on Thailand's experience as an emerging global hub of fragmentation and out sourcing. This elucidates new evidence in connection with production, industrial organisations and labour economics theories, providing interesting insights for formulating industrialisation and labour development policies.