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countries (Pakistaui and Bangladesh) made<sup>substantial advances in easing regulatory obstacla to</sup> entry but not in reforming investment<sup>incentives, while others (Mexico) reformed investment</sup> incenatives but not entry prerequisites. Third,<sup>there appear to be significant variations among</sup> countries in the extent of difficulties with<sup>implementation; for Ghana and Guinea in particular,</sup> organizational obstacles to reforming the<sup>environment for domestic competition appear to have</sup> been substantial.

# The Promotion of Export Productio

Within the larger set of policies that<sup>promote export production, the paper</sup> reviews from an institutional perspective<sup>efforts to put in place administrative instruments</sup> intended to secure 'trade neutrality"'<sup>for exporters -- that is, to secure access to imported (or</sup> local) inputs free of import duties or other indirect<sup>taxes.n</sup> As was evident from the earlier review<sup>of import liberalization, and as Table 6</sup> summarizes, not one of the twelve countries<sup>in the sample has moved to an entirely liberal</sup> import regime with no quantitative restrictions<sup>and low and uniform tariffs. Import liberalization</sup> appears to have proceeded furthest in Ghana,<sup>Morocco and Mexico; but even in these countries</sup> some imports continue to be subject to<sup>quantitative restrictions, and others subject to nominal</sup> tariffs in excess ot 50%Yo. The combination of high-cost, low quality<sup>locally-produced inputs, and</sup> imported inputs either unavailable or subject<sup>to high tariffs inhibits the ability of putative</sup> exporters to compete in international markets.

3' The phrase is from Yung Whee Rhee,<sup>'Instruments for Export Policy and Administration:</sup> Lessons from the East Asian Experience",<sup>World Bank Staff Working Papers Number 725, 1985.</sup> 32 Additional policies to promote exports that<sup>might usefully be reviewed from a</sup> institutional perspective but were beyond<sup>the scope of this paper include direct export subsidies</sup> and their administration, mechanisms to secure<sup>access to working capital for exporters, and</sup> various arrangements to provide technical<sup>and marketing support for potential exporting firms.</sup> Rhee 'Instruments for Export Policy' provides<sup>substantial detail on the appropriate organization</sup> of mechanisms to secure access to working<sup>capital. Three papers by Don Keesing -- 'How to</sup> Provide High Impact Assistance to Manufactured<sup>Exports from Developing Countries", (with</sup> Andrew Singer) The World Bank. Trade<sup>Policy Division, PPR, mimeo, September 1989; "What</sup> Goes Wrong in Official Promotion and<sup>Marketing Assistance for Manufactured Exports from</sup> Developing Countries" (with Andrew Singer)<sup>The World Bank, Trade Policy Division, PPR,</sup> mimeo, September 1989; and 'The Four Successful<sup>Exceptions", UNDP-World Bank Trade</sup> Expansion Program Occassional Paper 2<sup>September 1988 -- provide rich, institutionally sensitive</sup> analysis of the design of technical and marketing<sup>support.</sup>