IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/gejxxx/v13y2013i02ngej-2013-0015.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Macroeconomic Shock Synchronization in the East African Community

Author

Listed:
  • Albert Mafusire

    (African Development Bank, Pretoria, South Africa)

  • Zuzana Brixiova

    (African Development Bank, Tunis, Tunisia)

Abstract

The East African Community’s (EAC) economic integration has gained momentum recently, with the EAC countries aiming to adopt a single currency in 2015. This article evaluates empirically the readiness of the EAC countries for monetary union. First, structural similarity in terms of similarity of production and exports of the EAC countries is measured. Second, the symmetry of shocks is examined with structural vector auto-regression analysis (SVAR). The lack of macroeconomic convergence gives evidence against a hurried transition to a monetary union. Given the divergent macroeconomic outcomes, structural reforms, including closing infrastructure gaps and harmonizing macroeconomic policies that would raise synchronization of business cycles, need to be in place before moving to monetary union.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert Mafusire & Zuzana Brixiova, 2013. "Macroeconomic Shock Synchronization in the East African Community," Global Economy Journal (GEJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(2), pages 261-280, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:gejxxx:v:13:y:2013:i:02:n:gej-2013-0015
    DOI: 10.1515/GEJ-2013-0015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1515/GEJ-2013-0015
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/GEJ-2013-0015?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Frankel, Jeffrey A & Rose, Andrew K, 1998. "The Endogeneity of the Optimum Currency Area Criteria," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(449), pages 1009-1025, July.
    2. Narayan K. Kishor & John Ssozi, 2011. "Business Cycle Synchronization in the Proposed East African Monetary Union: An Unobserved Component Approach," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 664-675, November.
    3. Lee Yu-Feng L, 2007. "Bilateral Trade and Intra-Regional Business Cycles: Is East Asia Feasible for a Currency Area?," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 7(3), pages 1-12, October.
    4. Buigut, Steven K. & Valev, Neven T., 2005. "Is the proposed East African Monetary Union an optimal currency area? a structural vector autoregression analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2119-2133, December.
    5. Kasekende Louis & Brixova Zuzana & Ndikumana Leonce, 2010. "Africa: Africa's Counter-Cyclical Policy Responses to the Crisis," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 1(1), pages 1-22, January.
    6. Fogel Georgine K & Saxena Sweta C, 2004. "EMU Policies and the Stability and Growth Pact: Prospects of Macroeconomic Stability," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 4(2), pages 1-21, December.
    7. Zhang, Zhaoyong & Sato, Kiyotaka & McAleer, Michael, 2004. "Asian monetary integration: a structural VAR approach," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 447-458.
    8. Fidrmuc, Jarko & Korhonen, Iikka, 2003. "Similarity of supply and demand shocks between the euro area and the CEECs," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 313-334, September.
    9. Barro, Robert J & Gordon, David B, 1983. "A Positive Theory of Monetary Policy in a Natural Rate Model," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(4), pages 589-610, August.
    10. Torres,Francisco & Giavazzi,Francesco (ed.), 1993. "Adjustment and Growth in the European Monetary Union," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521440196, January.
    11. DeJong, David N. & Nankervis, John C. & Savin, N. E. & Whiteman, Charles H., 1992. "The power problems of unit root test in time series with autoregressive errors," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1-3), pages 323-343.
    12. Zuzana Brixiova & Margaret H. Morgan & Andreas Wörgötter, 2010. "On The Road to Euro: How Synchronized Is Estonia with the Euro zone?," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 7(1), pages 203-227, June.
    13. Currie, David & Holtham, Gerald & Hughes, Gordon, 1989. "The Theory and Practice of International Policy Coordination: Does Coordination Pay?," CEPR Discussion Papers 325, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Derick Boyd, 2010. "Comment: The nature of the ADAS model based on the ISLM model," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 34(3), pages 587-590.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wörgötter, Andreas & Brixiova, Zuzana, 2020. "Monetary Unions of Small Currencies and a Dominating Member: What Policies Work Best for Benefiting from the CMA?," IZA Policy Papers 163, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Zuzana Brixiova & Qingwei Meng & Mthuli Ncube, 2015. "Can Intra-Regional Trade Act as a Global Shock Absorber in Africa?," World Economics, World Economics, 1 Ivory Square, Plantation Wharf, London, United Kingdom, SW11 3UE, vol. 16(3), pages 141-162, July.
    3. 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.
    4. Hector Carcel & Luis A. Gil-Alana & Godfrey Madigu, 2015. "Inflation Convergence in the East African Community: A Fractional Integration and Cointegration Study," Global Economy Journal (GEJ), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(4), pages 507-524, December.
    5. J. Acalin & B. Cabrillac & G. Dufrénot & L. Jacolin & S. Diop, 2015. "Financial integration and growth correlation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working papers 561, Banque de France.
    6. Luis Alberiko Gil-Alaña & Borja Balprad & Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Hector Carcel, 2015. "Exchange Rate Dynamics and Monetary Unions in Africa: A Fractional Integration and Cointegration Analysis," NCID Working Papers 11/2015, Navarra Center for International Development, University of Navarra.
    7. 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.
    8. Mattera, Raffaele & Franses, Philip Hans, 2023. "Are African business cycles synchronized? Evidence from spatio-temporal modeling," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).

    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. Albert Mafusire & Zuzana Brixiova, 2012. "Working Paper 156 - Macroeconomic Shock Synchronization in the East African Community," Working Paper Series 432, African Development Bank.
    2. Stefan Eichler & Alexander Karmann, 2011. "Optimum Currency Areas in Emerging Market Regions: Evidence Based on the Symmetry of Economic Shocks," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 22(5), pages 935-954, November.
    3. Oscar Bajo-Rubio & Carmen Díaz-Roldán, 2005. "Characterizing macroeconomic shocks in the CEECs," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 227-234, December.
    4. Laetitia Lepetit & Clovis Rugemintwari & Frank Strobel, 2015. "Monetary, Financial and Fiscal Stability in the East African Community: Ready for a Monetary Union?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(8), pages 1179-1204, August.
    5. Horvath, Julius, 2003. "Optimum currency area theory: A selective review," BOFIT Discussion Papers 15/2003, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    6. Francesco Paolo Mongelli, 2008. "European Economic and Monetary Integration, and the Optimum Currency Area Theory," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 302, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    7. Paul De Grauwe & Gunther Schnabl, 2004. "Exchange Rate Regimes and Macroeconomic Stability in Central and Eastern Europe," International Finance 0404011, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Michael C. Burda, 2001. "European Labour Markets and the Euro: How Much Flexibility Do We Really Need?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Deutsche Bundesbank (ed.), The Monetary Transmission Process, chapter 7, pages 252-282, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Ignacy Święcicki & Jan J. Michałek, 2014. "Sources of difficulties in coordination of monetary and fiscal policies in the European Economic and Monetary Union," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 39.
    10. Buigut, Steven K. & Valev, Neven T., 2005. "Is the proposed East African Monetary Union an optimal currency area? a structural vector autoregression analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2119-2133, December.
    11. Ricci, Luca Antonio, 2008. "A Model of an Optimum Currency Area," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 2, pages 1-31.
    12. Fidrmuc, Jarko & Korhonen, Iikka, 2006. "Meta-analysis of the business cycle correlation between the euro area and the CEECs," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 518-537, September.
    13. Huang, Shuo & Fidrmuc, Jan & Fidrmuc, Jarko, 2015. "Whither China? Reform and economic integration among Chinese regions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 94-110.
    14. repec:zbw:bofitp:2004_020 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Gilson, Nathalie alias Natacha & Labondance, Fabien, 2013. "Synchronisation des chocs d’offre et de demande en Europe – Un après-euro ou une après-crise des subprimes ?," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 89(3), pages 155-189, Septembre.
    16. Kapounek, Svatopluk & Kučerová, Zuzana, 2019. "Historical decoupling in the EU: Evidence from time-frequency analysis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 265-280.
    17. Balogun, Emmanuel Dele, 2008. "An Empirical Test of Trade Gravity Model Criteria for the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ)," MPRA Paper 7083, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Nicolien Schermer, 2005. "The Synchronisation of European Labour Markets: An Analysis Using Aggregate Philips Curves," DNB Working Papers 076, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    19. Todorov Ivan Krumov, 2014. "Macroeconomic Trends in the New Member Countries of the European Union Before the Euro Area Debt Crisis," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 61(2), pages 197-217, December.
    20. Arslan Razmi, 2022. "Unilateral currency union with a high-income area: the case of Montenegro," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 19(1), pages 31-61, June.
    21. Tsangarides, Charalambos G. & Qureshi, Mahvash Saeed, 2008. "Monetary Union Membership in West Africa: A Cluster Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 1261-1279, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    shock synchronization; structural VAR; regional integration; East Africa; E32; F42; C53;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • C53 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Forecasting and Prediction Models; Simulation Methods

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wsi:gejxxx:v:13:y:2013:i:02:n:gej-2013-0015. 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: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscinet/gej .

    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.