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Funding development infrastructure without leverage: A risk†sharing alternative using innovative sukuk structures

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  • Obiyathulla Ismath Bacha
  • Abbas Mirakhor

Abstract

Muslim countries of the developing world suffer indebtedness resulting mostly from funding development infrastructure. Faced with a dire need for development infrastructure but with inadequate resources to fund them domestically, these governments often resort to foreign borrowing. As neither foreign banks nor international debt markets would allow for the debt to be in home currency, the funding is invariably denominated in foreign currency. For the borrowing country, in addition to currency exposure such borrowing increases the country's leverage and economic vulnerability. As these countries typically have a narrow economic base with heavy reliance on commodity exports, they are susceptible to the vagaries of commodity price fluctuation. Leverage increases the amplitude of the economy's fluctuation, resulting if not in outright crisis, then, at least in financial distress and depreciating home currency. As a result, when the foreign currency funded project comes on stream, it is burdened with huge accumulated debt which in many cases makes the project unmanageable without further government help through subsidy of operating costs. This further stresses already stretched government budgets and perpetuates indebtedness. This cycle of borrowing, leverage and vulnerability can be broken by innovative use of sukuk. The problem with debt financing is that the servicing requirements are independent of the underlying project's risk or cash flows. This paper presents two sukuk structures based on the risk sharing principles of Islamic finance. Sukuk that have returns linked to the nation's gross domestic product growth if the funded project is non†revenue generating and linked to earnings of the project if it is revenue generating can avoid the problems above. The pay†off profile, estimated cost of funds and returns to investors of these sukuk are discussed. When designed in small denomination, such sukuk can enhance financial inclusion, help build domestic capital markets and enable the financing of development without stressing government budgets.

Suggested Citation

  • Obiyathulla Ismath Bacha & Abbas Mirakhor, 2018. "Funding development infrastructure without leverage: A risk†sharing alternative using innovative sukuk structures," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 752-762, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:41:y:2018:i:3:p:752-762
    DOI: 10.1111/twec.12512
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    Cited by:

    1. Ghlamallah, Ezzedine & Alexakis, Christos & Dowling, Michael & Piepenbrink, Anke, 2021. "The topics of Islamic economics and finance research," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 145-160.
    2. Khan, Abdullah & Rizvi, Syed Aun R. & Ali, Mohsin & Haroon, Omair, 2021. "A survey of Islamic finance research – Influences and influencers," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Zhifeng Wang & Guiying Laura Wu & Qu Feng, 2020. "Productivity of core infrastructure investment in China: An input–output approach," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(12), pages 3384-3406, December.
    4. Minghua Chen & Qinru Chu & Tengwen Zhang & Qian Li & Jianxu Liu & Woraphon Yamaka, 2023. "The Structural Causes and Trend Evolution of Imbalance and Insufficiency of Development of Digital Inclusive Finance in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, June.
    5. Jatmiko, Wahyu & Ebrahim, M. Shahid & Smaoui, Houcem, 2023. "Sukūk development and income inequality," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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