The Impact of Fiscal Consolidations on Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Impact of Fiscal Consolidations on Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Francisco Arizala
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 148433311X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 32

Book Description
This paper examines the output effects of changes in public expenditure and revenue in sub-Saharan African countries during 1990–2016. Fiscal multipliers in sub-Saharan Africa are somewhat smaller than those in advanced and emerging economies. The effect of changes in fiscal policy on output depends on the composition: cutting public investment has a larger effect on output than cutting public consumption or raising revenue. Episodes of fiscal consolidation have short- and medium-term output effects, but here, too, composition matters: fiscal consolidations based on reducing public investment have the largest effect on output, while fiscal consolidations based on revenue mobilization are less harmful than those based on public investment cuts. These findings suggest that the negative impact on growth can be mitigated through the design of fiscal adjustment and the accompanying policy environment.

Fiscal Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Fiscal Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Hippolyte Fofack
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 33

Book Description


Fiscal Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Fiscal Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Hippolyte Fofack
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
In light of the proliferation of exceptionally large fiscal stimuli to ward off the recession triggered by the 2008 global economic and financial crisis in most advanced economies, this paper revisits the fiscal adjustment and growth nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using transfer functions, it quantifies expected losses in terms of aggregate output largely attributed to a systematic implementation of pro-cyclical expenditure switching and reducing policies to achieve low deficit targets throughout the decades of adjustments. The results consistently highlight a much higher predicted aggregate output under the hypothesized counter-cyclical fiscal expansion option. This consistent outcome suggests that the output gap would have been significantly smaller in the region if countries had drawn on stop-and-go policies of fiscal expansion to sustainably raise the stock of capital investments.

Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Adjustment and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Mr.Anupam Basu
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451847092
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 36

Book Description
This paper analyzes the factors affecting economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa, using data for 1981–97. The results indicate that per capita real GDP growth is positively influenced by economic policies that raise the ratio of private investment to GDP, promote human capital development, lower the ratio of the budget deficit to GDP, safeguard external competitiveness, and stimulate export volume growth. The favorable evolution of these variables played an important role in the region’s apparent postreform recovery of 1995–97. The paper also discusses a policy framework to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

Promoting Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Promoting Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Mr.Anupam Basu
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 9781557759665
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 24

Book Description
Africa is the world’s poorest continent, but amid all the bad news, there is hope for change. This pamphlet examines the lessons to be learned from some of the more successful economies south of the Sahara, and discusses a policy framework to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty across the region.

Fiscal Adjustment and Growth

Fiscal Adjustment and Growth PDF Author: Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economic stabilization
Languages : en
Pages : 80

Book Description
Disentangles the empirical relations between fiscal adjustment, conventional and unconventional taxation, macroeconomic stability, and growth, by reviewing earlier work, and providing econometric evidence on these relations. Looks at a world sample which includes SSA economies to determine whether Africa is different, and finally offers studies on Ghana and Zimbabwe to illustrate how fiscal adjustment (or lack of it) contributes to macroeconomic health.

Exiting From Fragility in sub-Saharan Africa

Exiting From Fragility in sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Corinne Deléchat
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513521810
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 46

Book Description
This paper studies the role of fiscal policies and institutions in building resilience in sub-Saharan African countries during 1990-2013, with specific emphasis on a group of twenty-six countries that were deemed fragile in the 1990s. As the drivers of fragility and resilience are closely intertwined, we use GMM estimation as well as a probabilistic framework to address endogeneity and reverse causality. We find that fiscal institutions and fiscal space, namely the capacity to raise tax revenue and contain current spending, as well as lower military spending and, to some extent, higher social expenditure, are significantly and fairly robustly associated with building resilience. Similar conclusions arise from a study of the progression of a group of seven out of the twenty-six sub- Saharan African countries that managed to build resilience after years of civil unrest and/or violent conflict. These findings suggest relatively high returns to focusing on building sound fiscal institutions in fragile states. The international community can help this process through policy advice, technical assistance, and training on tax administration and budget reforms.

Adjustment for Growth

Adjustment for Growth PDF Author: Mr.Michael T. Hadjimichael
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 9781557755667
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 100

Book Description
Over the past two decades, sub-Saharan Africa has lagged behind other regions in economic performance. The important overall indicators of performance, however, mask wide differences among countries. On the whole, countries that effectively implemented comprehensive adjustment and reform programs showed better results. Their experiences demonstrate that an expansion in private saving and investment is key to achieving gains in real per capita GDP. The four papers included in this publication provide a cross country analysis that assesses empirically the role of publlic policies in stimulating private saving and investment in the region in 1986-92 and describe the adjustment experiences of Ghana (1983-91), Senegal (1978-1993), and Uganda (1987-94).

Is Fiscal Policy the Answer?

Is Fiscal Policy the Answer? PDF Author: Blanca Moreno-Dodson
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821396307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Book Description
Fiscal policy is an important instrument for maintaining and improving living standards. Such living standards can be viewed as an outcome of the interaction between the opportunities offered by society and the readiness and ability of each person to exploit them. Under certain circumstances, public finance can make an important contribution to the creation of opportunities within a given society by raising resources from the private sector through taxation or borrowing (domestic and external) and allocating those resources effectively and equitably in the form of public spending, including through public goods and transfers. The first chapters in this volume sketch out a framework that policy makers can use in adopting a more cohesive or integrated approach to the short- and long-term dimensions of fiscal policy. Here the traditional threefold rationale for fiscal policy proposed by Musgrave-stabilization, resource allocation, and distribution-continues to be useful. Other chapters in this volume take up some of the critical institutional challenges in implementing fiscal policy for longer-term growth and development. These chapters also look at the tools and approaches being developed to address these challenges. Improving the quality of public investment management is a particular priority in view of the recent evidence that as little as half of all public investment expenditure translates into productive capital stock. The last chapter in this volume is a case study of fiscal responses to the great recession in low-income Sub-Saharan Africa, looking at stabilization and the longer-run growth, as well as distributional aspects of such responses. The growing depth of domestic financial markets in many African countries rather unexpectedly is turning out to be a critical source of financing for fiscal policy responses.

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tax Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: Zmarak Shalizi
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821311653
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

Book Description
Trade is an essential driver for sustained economic growth, and growth is necessary for poverty reduction. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where three-fourths of the poor live in rural areas, spurring growth and generating income and employment opportunities is critical for poverty reduction strategies. Seventy percent of the population lives in rural areas, where livelihoods are largely dependent on the production and export of raw agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa, and cotton, whose prices in real terms have been steadily declining over the past decades. The deterioration in the terms of trade resulted for Africa in a steady contraction of its share in global trade over the past 50 years. Diversification of agriculture into higher-value, non-traditional exports is seen today as a priority for most of these countries. Some African countries-in particular, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, CÔte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Zimbabwe-have managed to diversify their agricultural sector into non-traditional, high-value-added products such as cut flowers and plants, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. To learn from these experiences and better assist other African countries in designing and implementing effective agricultural growth and diversification strategies, the World Bank has launched a comprehensive set of studies under the broad theme of "Agricultural Trade Facilitation and Non-Traditional Agricultural Export Development in Sub-Saharan Africa." This study provides an in-depth analysis of the current structure and dynamics of the European import market for flowers and fresh horticulture products. It aims to help client countries, industry stakeholders, and development partners to get a better understanding of these markets, and to assess the prospects and opportunities they offer for Sub-Saharan African exporters.