Exploring the Natural Resource Curse in Uzbekistan

• Project/Area Number: 25K05099
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
• Research Institution: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
• Principal Investigator: WIE Dainn 政策研究大学院大学, 政策研究科, 准教授 (50600649)
• Project Period (FY): 2025-04-01 – 2028-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2025)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000); Fiscal Year 2027: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2026: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: firm subsidy / natural resource curse / market competition / transition economy

Outline of Research at the Start

Are natural resources a blessing or a curse for developing countries? This study aims to address this longstanding question in economics by leveraging rich administrative tax data from Uzbekistan. Specifically, we aim to provide novel empirical evidence on how natural resource abundance affects firms’ rent-seeking behavior, labor allocation, and overall market structure. Uzbekistan presents an ideal setting for this inquiry: its exports are heavily concentrated in natural gas and gold, and its centrally planned economy remains highly dependent on subsidies.