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Prospects for a Monetary Union in the East Africa Community: Some Empirical Evidence

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  • Guglielmo Maria Caporale
  • Luis Gil‐Alana

Abstract

This paper examines generalised purchasing power parity (G‐PPP) and business cycle synchronisation in the East Africa Community with the aim of assessing the prospects for a monetary union. The univariate fractional integration analysis shows that the individual series exhibit unit roots and are highly persistent. The fractional bivariate cointegration tests suggest that there exist bivariate fractional cointegrating relationships between the exchange rate of the Tanzanian shilling and those of the other EAC countries, and also between the exchange rates of the Rwandan franc, the Burundian franc and the Ugandan shilling. The Fractionally Cointegrated Vector AutoRegressive (FCVAR) results imply the existence of a single cointegrating relationship between the exchange rates of the EAC countries. On the whole, there is evidence in favour of G‐PPP. In addition, there appears to be a high degree of business cycle synchronisation between these economies. On both grounds, one can argue that a monetary union should be feasible.

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  • Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Luis Gil‐Alana, 2020. "Prospects for a Monetary Union in the East Africa Community: Some Empirical Evidence," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 88(2), pages 174-185, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:sajeco:v:88:y:2020:i:2:p:174-185
    DOI: 10.1111/saje.12247
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    Cited by:

    1. Ebenezer Olamide & Andrew Maredza & Kanayo Ogujiuba, 2022. "Monetary Policy, External Shocks and Economic Growth Dynamics in East Africa: An S-VAR Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Aweng Peter Majok Garang & Hatice Erkekoglu, 2020. "Business Cycles Synchronisation and Symmetries in the Transition to East African Monetary Union," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 88(4), pages 495-517, December.

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    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C32 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes; State Space Models
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions

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