The study attempts to analyse India's trade potential with other SAARC member states under the SAFTA agreement by means of the augmented gravity model, at annual frequency from 1992 to 2019 in general and from 2004 to 2019 in particular. The findings of this paper prove that the intra-regional trade volumes between SAARC countries can be increased and encouraged. Moreover, the research shows that it is important to introduce structural reforms aiming to boost trade with non-member states. It would be advisable for researchers to take into account the effect locational and infrastructural advantages have on transport costs through the application of a gravity model. Previous research has also demonstrated that the augmented gravity model may prove helpful in explaining some key features of South Asian trade, which traditional gravity models fail to do.
This study empirically investigates the relationship between economic freedom and financial development in EU countries. Using panel data covering the years 2000 2017 and employing fixed effects, random effects, and the generalised method of moments (GMM), the paper examines the effect of economic freedom on financial development. The research results demonstrate that greater economic freedom is conducive to financial development in the EU. These findings remain robust to the use of an alternative index of economic freedom. The results imply that policies which promote economic freedom are likely to raise the level of a country’s financial development.
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