Institutions and mechanism of regional integration in the South Central Coast

Abstract

The regional integration is a relatively
complex social phenomenon that requires a variety
of theoretical frameworks/approaches. The paper
proposes and analyzes the framework for assessing
the role and level of regional integration in economic
development in the South Central Coast. The results
of the study show that the level of regional
integration is not tight and of mere formality as the
cost of regional integration is higher than the
benefits and the institution of regional coordination
has not been effective. These result in the fact that
the role of regional integration in promoting
economic spillovers and enhancing competitiveness
is not commensurate with expectations. Through the
analysis, the paper proposes some guidelines to
enhance the role and increase the level of regional
connectivity in the South Central Coast in the
future.