New paper

(Full draft will be made available here soon; the paper was prepared for and presented in a conference organized by FONDAD).

M. Chatib Basri and Arianto A. Patunru,

University of Indonesia, 2007

How to Keep Trade Policy Open: The Case of Indonesia

Abstract:

We survey the dynamics of trade protection in Indonesia. In the aftermath of the 1998 crisis, Indonesia underwent impressive trade liberalization. However, from 2001 on, protectionism was on the rise again. The paper aims to elucidate how conflict over trade policy takes place in Indonesia after the economic crisis and to examine the prospect for further trade liberalization. We argue that it is unwise to assume that pressures for trade protection will easily subside. To support our key arguments we discuss the cases of rice import ban and crude palm oil export tax. We conclude that unless Indonesia can maintain the competitiveness of the real exchange rate, overcoming the supply side problems, improving infrastructure and reducing high cost economy, further trade liberalization will not be easy.

Another new article

Accepted conditional on minor edits (more detail, later). This paper explores on the same survey as this.

Xiaolin Ren (U Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Arianto A. Patunru (U Indonesia)
John B. Braden (U Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)

Language Related Differences in Environmental Benefits Estimation:
Evidence from a Mail Survey
2007

Abstract

In a contingent valuation study, failing to accommodate populations with limited language skills might yield biased estimates of environmental benefits. In the United States, there are many residents primarily fluent in Spanish. This study uses conditional logit models applied to data from a bilingual (English and Spanish) conjoint choice mail survey to evaluate the effects of language proficiency on estimates of the economic benefits of contaminated site cleanup. After correcting for other factors, the results of both pooled and separate analysis of the language subsamples indicate that language does have significant effects on estimates of the economic benefits. Differences between the subpopulations who declare Spanish as their primary language and those who responded to the Spanish version of the survey suggest, although not conclusively, that translation of a survey into a second language can change the variability of the responses and pose econometric challenges. The results suggest that a mail survey addressing an environmental issue that may affect a linguistically diverse population should be designed at the outset with multiple languages in mind.

New article

Coming up in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. Abstract:

This article uses latent segmentation analysis to estimate the benefits of contaminant cleanup in Waukegan Harbor, Illinois. Survey responses to attitudinal and perception questions provide significant information about the existence of distinct preference groups. By comparison, the predictive usefulness of demographic covariates is unclear. The expected aggregate willingness-to-pay of Waukegan homeowners for full cleanup is approximately equivalent to a 20% increase in the market value of homes. The aggregate estimate is little affected by the identification of preference clusters.

New article on Indonesian economy

Now available online (subscription required)

M. Chatib Basri and Arianto A. Patunru, 2006. Survey of Recent Developments. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies 42(3): 295-319

I believe the print issue will be available next week.