IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/openec/v3y2020i1p112-120n8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fiscal Rule in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Shobande Olatunji Abdul

    (Business School, University of Aberdeen, UK)

Abstract

Fiscal policy has recently been encouraged to increase competition, monitor Africa’s debt to GDP and improve its economic growth. Importantly, the present fiscal situation in most African countries will seem to have significant consequences for both public and private investments. This paper examines whether fiscal policy and investment matters for GDP growth in a panel of forty-eight (48) African countries for the period 1970-2017. The empirical evidence explored is based on the Fixed Effect (FE) and System Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) estimators. The results suggest that public and private investment among selected African countries has a positive impact on GDP growth. The findings further indicate that fiscal policies must play a more prominent role in sustaining potential private and public investments, especially as debt servicing among the African’ countries examined may have serious shortcomings on sustainable economic growth

Suggested Citation

  • Shobande Olatunji Abdul, 2020. "Fiscal Rule in Africa," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 112-120, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:openec:v:3:y:2020:i:1:p:112-120:n:8
    DOI: 10.1515/openec-2020-0107
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/openec-2020-0107
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/openec-2020-0107?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Ayato Ashihara & Keigo Kameda, 2018. "Is fiscal expansion more effective in a financial crisis?," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 111-114, January.
    3. Minea, Alexandru & Villieu, Patrick, 2010. "Endogenous growth, government debt and budgetary regimes: A Corrigendum," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 709-711, June.
    4. Sriyana, Jaka, 2018. "Inflationary effects of fiscal and monetary policies in Indonesia," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 14(3), June.
    5. Asongu, Simplice A. & Le Roux, Sara & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2017. "Environmental degradation, ICT and inclusive development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 353-361.
    6. Bishnu, Monisankar & Ghate, Chetan & Gopalakrishnan, Pawan, 2016. "Factor income taxation, growth, and investment specific technological change," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 133-152.
    7. Chen, Chuanglian & Yao, Shujie & Hu, Peiwei & Lin, Yuting, 2017. "Optimal government investment and public debt in an economic growth model," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 257-278.
    8. Iwata, Yasuharu, 2013. "Two fiscal policy puzzles revisited: New evidence and an explanation," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 188-207.
    9. Ueshina, Mitsuru, 2018. "The effect of public debt on growth and welfare under the golden rule of public finance," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 1-11.
    10. David Roodman, 2009. "A Note on the Theme of Too Many Instruments," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(1), pages 135-158, February.
    11. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    12. André Diniz, 2018. "Effects of Fiscal Consolidations in Latin America," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 66(4), pages 694-731, December.
    13. Britta Förster & Bernd Hayo, 2018. "Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Times of Crisis: A New Keynesian Perspective in Continuous Time," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 86(1), pages 21-48, January.
    14. Alesina, A. & Passalacqua, A., 2016. "The Political Economy of Government Debt," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & Harald Uhlig (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 2599-2651, Elsevier.
    15. Markus Eller & Jarko Fidrmuc & Zuzana Fungáčová, 2016. "Fiscal Policy and Regional Output Volatility: Evidence from Russia," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(11), pages 1849-1862, November.
    16. IWATA Yasuharu, 2009. "Fiscal Policy in an Estimated DSGE Model of the Japanese Economy: Do Non-Ricardian Households Explain All?," ESRI Discussion paper series 216, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    17. Andrew Snell & Heiko Stuber & Jonathan Thomas, 2018. "Downward Real Wage Rigidity and Equal Treatment Wage Contracts: Theory and Evidence," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 30, pages 265-284, October.
    18. repec:bla:scandj:v:95:y:1993:i:4:p:607-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Francesco Prota & Maria Jennifer Grisorio, 2018. "Public expenditure in time of crisis: are Italian policymakers choosing the right mix?," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(2), pages 337-365, August.
    20. Diniz, André, 2016. "Effects of fiscal consolidations in Latin America," Textos para discussão 423, FGV EESP - Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil).
    21. Islam, Md. Rabiul & Madsen, Jakob B. & Doucouliagos, Hristos, 2018. "Does inequality constrain the power to tax? Evidence from the OECD," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1-17.
    22. Glomm, Gerhard & Ravikumar, B, 1992. "Public versus Private Investment in Human Capital Endogenous Growth and Income Inequality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(4), pages 818-834, August.
    23. Arrow, Kenneth J & Kurz, Mordecai, 1970. "Optimal Growth with Irreversible Investment in a Ramsey Model," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 38(2), pages 331-344, March.
    24. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    25. Boubaker, Sabri & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Paltalidis, Nikos, 2018. "Fiscal policy interventions at the zero lower bound," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 297-314.
    26. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    27. Engin Kara & Jasmin Sin, 2018. "The Fiscal Multiplier in a Liquidity‐Constrained New Keynesian Economy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 120(1), pages 93-123, January.
    28. Badi H. Baltagi & Peter H. Egger & Michaela Kesina, 2018. "Generalized spatial autocorrelation in a panel-probit model with an application to exporting in China," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 193-211, August.
    29. António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles, 2017. "Fiscal Episodes and Market Power," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 233-250, April.
    30. Gobbi, Alessandro & Grazzini, Jakob, 2019. "A basic New Keynesian DSGE model with dispersed information: An agent-based approach," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 101-116.
    31. Badi H. Baltagi, 2008. "Forecasting with panel data," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(2), pages 153-173.
    32. Love, Inessa & Zicchino, Lea, 2006. "Financial development and dynamic investment behavior: Evidence from panel VAR," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 190-210, May.
    33. Lai, Ching-Chong & Liao, Chih-Hsing, 2012. "Optimal nonlinear income taxation with productive government expenditure," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 66-77.
    34. Iván Kataryniuk & Javier Vallés, 2018. "Fiscal consolidation after the Great Recession: the role of composition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 70(2), pages 563-585.
    35. Alfred Greiner & Peter Flaschel, 2010. "Public Debt And Public Investment In An Endogenous Growth Model With Real Wage Rigidities," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 57(1), pages 68-84, February.
    36. Jesse Burkhead, 1954. "The Balanced Budget," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 68(2), pages 191-216.
    37. Reicher, Christopher Phillip, 2012. "An estimated fiscal Taylor Rule for the postwar United States," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 114(3), pages 319-321.
    38. Valerie A. Ramey & Sarah Zubairy, 2018. "Government Spending Multipliers in Good Times and in Bad: Evidence from US Historical Data," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(2), pages 850-901.
    39. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shobande Olatunji Abdul, 2020. "Fiscal Rule in Africa," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 112-120, January.
    2. Shobande Olatunji Abdul & Shodipe Oladimeji Tomiwa, 2019. "New Keynesian Liquidity Trap and Conventional Fiscal Stance: An Estimated DSGE Model," Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 33(1), pages 152-169, January.
    3. Kazeem B. Ajide & Olorunfemi Y. Alimi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2019. "Ethnic Diversity and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Do Institutions Reduce the Noise?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 1033-1062, October.
    4. Asongu, Simplice A. & Le Roux, Sara & Singh, Pritam, 2021. "Fighting terrorism in Africa: Complementarity between inclusive development, military expenditure and political stability," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 897-922.
    5. Shobande Olatunji Abdul, 2019. "Effects of Energy Use on Socioeconomic Predictors in Africa: Synthesizing Evidence," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 29(4), pages 21-40, December.
    6. John Ssozi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2016. "The Effects of Remittances on Output per Worker in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Production Function Approach," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 84(3), pages 400-421, September.
    7. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Governance, capital flight and industrialisation in Africa," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 8(1), pages 1-22, December.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2017. "Foreign Aid and Inclusive Development: Updated Evidence from Africa, 2005–2012," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 98(1), pages 282-298, March.
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas Biekpe, 2018. "Globalization and terror in Africa," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 156, pages 86-97.
    10. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2018. "Increasing Foreign Aid for Inclusive Human Development in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(2), pages 443-466, July.
    11. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2021. "The role of finance in inclusive human development in Africa revisited," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(2), pages 345-370, February.
    12. Simplice Asongu & Enowbi Batuo & Vanessa Tchamyou, 2015. "Bundling Governance: Finance versus Institutions in Private Investment Promotion," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/051, African Governance and Development Institute..
    13. Asongu, Simplice & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., 2015. "Finance and Inclusive Human Development: Evidence from Africa," MPRA Paper 71787, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., 2016. "The role of governance in mobile phones for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 55, pages 1-13.
    15. Simplice Asongu & Jacinta Nwachukwu & Sara le Roux, 2019. "The role of inclusive development and military expenditure in modulating the effect of terrorism on governance," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(3), pages 681-709, August.
    16. Huaide Wen & Jun Dai, 2021. "The Change of Sources of Growth and Sustainable Development in China: Based on the Extended EKC Explanation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    17. Simplice Asongu & Nicholas Biekpe & Vanessa Tchamyou, 2019. "Remittances, ICT and doing business in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(1), pages 35-54, January.
    18. Simplice A Asongu & Lieven De Moor, 2017. "Financial Globalisation Dynamic Thresholds for Financial Development: Evidence from Africa," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(1), pages 192-212, January.
    19. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "Foreign Direct Investment, Information Technology, And Total Factor Productivity Dynamics In Sub‐Saharan Africa," World Affairs, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 186(2), pages 469-506, June.
    20. Asongu, Simplice A., 2017. "The effect of reducing information asymmetry on loan price and quantity in the African banking industry," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 185-197.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:openec:v:3:y:2020:i:1:p:112-120:n:8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.