Central America: management of used lubricants in Central America: final report

Each year, over 100 million barrels of used lubricating oils (billions of Liters of waste oil) are dumped onto the global world environment. In 1995, it was estimated that only 44% of available waste lubricants was collected worldwide (Reference 1). Therefore, 56% of used oils are NOT collected and, thus, they are either misused or discarded by the end user into the world environment. Considering that the worldwide lubricant yearly demand is ca. 40 billion Liters (~10.5 Billion Gallons), this implies that over 22 billion Liters of used oils are being disposed of in garbage cans, sewers, rivers…

The fiscal impact of trade liberalization and commodity price fluctuation: the case of Dominican Republic, 1980-1998

Summary During the 1980's, the Dominican Republic made attempts at macroeconomic reform that saw little success. A decade later a stabilization and structural reform package was implemented. This package included, among other aspects, inflation control through monetary restraint and a tax and tariff reform which sought to increase the efficiency of the prevailing tax structure and eliminate its relative price distortion while maintaining fiscal equilibrium. Price stabilization was achieved, nominal import tariff rates were reduced and the economy started on a growth trajectory th…

The fiscal impact of trade liberalization and commodity price fluctuation: the case of Costa Rica, 1980-1998

Summary Following a period of economic growth, political stability and poverty reduction spanning two decades (1960-1979), Costa Rica experienced at the beginning of the 1980´s the worst recession in its most recent history. In 1981 and 1982 gross domestic product (GDP) fell by -2.3% and -7.3%. Analysts pinpoint to short term economic factors and long run structural problems as the main causes of the recession. Short term economic factors comprise the end of the coffee price bonanza and the second oil shock. Long run structural factors are rooted in the economic imbalances generated b…

El grado de preparación de los países pequeños para participar en el ALCA = Readiness of small countries to participate in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)