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The Road to Regional Integration in Africa: Macroeconomic Convergence and Performance in COMESA

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  • Fabrizio Carmignani

Abstract

COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) aims at establishing a currency union by 2025. To this end, a policy harmonisation programme and a set of convergence criteria have been set up. A number of projects to foster trade, economic and financial integration have also been launched. Using time-series and panel econometrics, this paper provides evidence on different dimensions of the integration process: macroeconomic policy convergence, shocks symmetry, per-capita income catching-up. Highlights are as follows. The monetary policy stance mildly converges across countries; fiscal stabilisation is however still problematic in several member states. Trade integration is low, but for a bulk of countries in the region there is evidence that shocks are somewhat symmetric. There is instead little evidence that per-capita incomes across countries are converging. In fact, some convergence to the bottom might be taking place among the poorest members. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrizio Carmignani, 2006. "The Road to Regional Integration in Africa: Macroeconomic Convergence and Performance in COMESA," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 15(2), pages 212-250, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jafrec:v:15:y:2006:i:2:p:212-250
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    Cited by:

    1. Serge Rey & Florent Deisting, 2012. "GDP per Capita among African Countries over the Period 1950–2008: Highlights of Convergence Clubs," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(4), pages 2779-2800.
    2. Amélie Charles & Olivier Darné & Jean-François Hoarau, 2009. "Does the real GDP per capita convergence hold in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa?," Working Papers hal-00422522, HAL.
    3. Jean-Francois HOARAU, 2009. "INVESTISSEMENTS DIRECTS eTRANGERS ET INTeGRATION ReGIONALE : UN eTAT DES LIEUX POUR LE MARCHe COMMUN D’AFRIQUE DE L’EST ET DU SUD," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 29, pages 69-103.
    4. Carlos Vieira & Isabel Vieira, 2013. "Monetary Integration In Eastern And Southern Africa: Choosing A Currency Peg For Comesa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 81(3), pages 356-372, September.
    5. Amélie Charles & Olivier Darne & Jean-François Hoarau, 2012. "Convergence of real per capita GDP within COMESA countries: A panel unit root evidence," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), pages 53-71, August.
    6. Bhattacharya, Mita & Inekwe, John Nkwoma & Valenzuela, Maria Rebecca, 2018. "Financial integration in Africa: New evidence using network approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 379-390.
    7. repec:kap:iaecre:v:15:y:2009:i:3:p:278-295 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Attiat Ott & Oswaldo Patino, 2009. "Is Economic Integration the Solution to African Development?," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 15(3), pages 278-295, August.
    9. Eduardo Almeida & Pablo Guimarães, 2014. "Economic Growth and Infrastructure in Brazil: A Spatial Multilevel Approach," ERSA conference papers ersa14p219, European Regional Science Association.
    10. Fabrizio Carmignani, 2010. "Endogenous Optimal Currency Areas: the Case of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 19(1), pages 25-51, January.
    11. Zheng Ying & Chang-Rui Dong & Hsu-Ling Chang & Chi-Wei Su, 2014. "Are Real GDP Levels Stationary in African Countries?," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 82(3), pages 392-401, September.
    12. Adom, Assandé Désiré & Sharma, Subhash C. & Morshed, A.K.M. Mahbub, 2010. "Economic integration in Africa," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 245-253, August.
    13. Awad, Atif, 2019. "Does economic integration damage or benefit the environment? Africa's experience," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 991-999.
    14. Serge Rey & Florent Deisting, 2012. "GDP per Capita among African Countries over the Period 1950-2008: Highlights of Convergence Clubs," Post-Print hal-01885301, HAL.
    15. Button, Kenneth & Martini, Gianmaria & Scotti, Davide & Volta, Nicola, 2019. "Airline regulation and common markets in Sub-Saharan Africa," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 81-91.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F41 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Open Economy Macroeconomics
    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes

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