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How important is the efficiency of government investment ? The case of the Republic of Congo

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  • Nielsen, Hannah
  • Lofgren, Hans

Abstract

The Republic of Congo, an oil rich country in Central Africa, has made substantial progress in the past decade in stabilizing the economy and achieving high growth rates. However, despite reaching middle-income country status in 2006, the economy is not diversified, poverty remains pervasive, and social indicators are well below the average for countries with a similar income level. This paper analyzes aspects of an ambitious investment program on which the government has embarked to improve the provision of basic services and promote private sector development. The success of this program, however, is questionable given the low absorptive capacity of the country and in particular the poor efficiency of public investment management. The analysis is based on simulations with an economy-wide model for analysis of development strategies and government policies, MAMS (Maquette for MDG Simulations). The results of the simulations show that slightly delaying large investment projects, while simultaneously improving the efficiency of the investment program, would lead to significantly higher growth rates and lower poverty levels. The analysis therefore confirms the importance of efficient public investment management for the optimal use of the country's resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Nielsen, Hannah & Lofgren, Hans, 2011. "How important is the efficiency of government investment ? The case of the Republic of Congo," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5901, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5901
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dessus, Sebastien & Herrera, Remy, 2000. "Public Capital and Growth Revisited: A Panel Data Assessment," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 48(2), pages 407-418, January.
    2. François Bourguignon & Maurizio Bussolo & Luis Pereira, 2008. "The Impact of Macroeconomic Policies on Poverty and Income Distribution," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-00754864, HAL.
    3. Era Dabla-Norris & Jim Brumby & Annette Kyobe & Zac Mills & Chris Papageorgiou, 2012. "Investing in public investment: an index of public investment efficiency," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 235-266, September.
    4. Lofgren, Hans & Cicowiez, Martin & Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina, 2013. "MAMS – A Computable General Equilibrium Model for Developing Country Strategy Analysis," Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, in: Peter B. Dixon & Dale Jorgenson (ed.), Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 159-276, Elsevier.
    5. Bourguignon, Francois & Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina & Lofgren, Hans, 2008. "Aid, service delivery, and the millennium development goals in an economy-wide framework," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4683, The World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lofgren, Hans & Cicowiez, Martin & Diaz-Bonilla, Carolina, 2013. "MAMS – A Computable General Equilibrium Model for Developing Country Strategy Analysis," Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, in: Peter B. Dixon & Dale Jorgenson (ed.), Handbook of Computable General Equilibrium Modeling, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 159-276, Elsevier.
    2. Hallonsten, Jan Simon & Ziesemer, Thomas, 2016. "A semi-endogenous growth model for developing countries with public factors, imported capital goods, and limited export demand," MERIT Working Papers 2016-004, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).

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    Keywords

    Economic Theory&Research; Labor Policies; Debt Markets; Access to Finance; Non Bank Financial Institutions;
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