Foreign capital inflows and economic growth: the experience of low-income countries in Sub Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Awad

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the long-run impact of selected foreign capital inflows, including aid, remittances, foreign direct investment (FDI), trade and debt, on the economic growth of 21 low-income countries in the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) region, during the period 1990–2018. Design/methodology/approach To obtain this objective and for robust analysis, a parametric approach, which was dynamic ordinary least squares, and a non-parametric technique, which was fully modified ordinary least squares, were used. Findings The results of both models confirmed that, in the long run, trade and aid affected the growth rate of the per capita income in these countries in a positive way. However, external debt seemed to have an adverse influence on such growth. Originality/value First, this is the initial study that has addressed this matter across a homogenous group of countries in the SSA region. Second, while most of the previous studies regarding capital inflows into the SSA region have focused on the impact of only one or two aspects of such foreign capital inflows on growth, the present study, instead, examined the impact of five types of foreign capital inflows (aid, remittances, FDI, trade and debt).

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-61
Author(s):  
Belay Seyoum

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of state fragility on select indicators of human development and identify aspects of state fragility that have the greatest impact on poverty reduction and sustainable development. The paper also explores the impact of social cohesion on human development as well as the mediating role of state legitimacy in mediating the relationship between social cohesion and human development.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on data from 180 countries and uses ordinary least squares regression and mediation analysis to explore the effects of social cohesion on human development.FindingsThe findings show a significant relationship between state fragility and human development. It suggests that policies and efforts aimed at enhancing social cohesion would have the most significant impact on human development. The findings also show that social cohesion not only has a direct effect on human development but it also has an indirect effect on human development through state legitimacy (mediator).Practical implicationsEven though state fragility has been largely associated with low income countries, different facets of fragility are manifested in various countries regardless of levels of economic development.Originality/valueThe study is timely in view of the evidence of increasing state fragility in many countries. Furthermore, this is the first scholarly work linking lack of social cohesion, state fragility and human development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 10) ◽  
pp. 458-468
Author(s):  
Chen Ding ◽  
Umar Muhammad Gummi ◽  
Shan-bing Lu ◽  
Asiya Muazu

Oil exporting economies were the most hit by the recent oil price shock that spills on the food market in an increasingly volatile macroeconomic environment. This paper examines and compares sub-samples [before crisis <br />(2000 Q1–2013 Q1) and during crisis (2013 Q2–2019 Q4)] as to the impact of oil price on food prices in high- and low-income oil-exporting countries. We found an inverse relationship between oil and food prices in the long run based on full samples and sub-samples in high-income countries. The story is different during the crisis period: in low-income countries and all the countries combined, oil and food prices co-move in the long run as measured by the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS). Our findings suggest that economic structure and uncertain events (crises) dictate the behaviour and relationship between food and oil markets. Food and oil prices may drift away in the short-run, but market forces turn them toward equilibrium in the long-run. Moreover, low-income countries are indifferent in both periods due to limited capacity to balance the increasing demand for and supply of food items.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-49
Author(s):  
Mercy T. Musakwa ◽  
Nicholas M. Odhiambo ◽  
Sheilla Nyasha

Abstract This study investigates the impact of foreign capital inflows on poverty in Vietnam, using annual time series data from 1990 to 2018. The study was motivated by the need to establish if burgeoning foreign capital inflows in Vietnam can support the poverty alleviation agenda. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and external debt were used as proxies for foreign capital inflows; and infant mortality rate, Human Development Index (HDI) and household consumption expenditure were used as poverty proxies. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach, the study found foreign direct investment to reduce poverty in the short run and long run when household consumption expenditure was used as a poverty measure. However, the study found FDI to worsen poverty in the short run when infant mortality rate and HDI were used as poverty proxies. The study found external debt to have poverty mitigating effect in the short run regardless of the poverty measure used and in the long run only when household consumption expenditure was used as a poverty measure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
Olabode Eric Olabisi

As the prices of daily needs are aggravating in Nigeria, the value of the country’s currency (naira) is less appreciated on a daily basis, and this pose a threat to a good standard of living in Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of foreign capital inflows on the persistent increase in inflation in Nigeria over the period of 1985 to 2019. The Autoregressive Distributed Lags was used to obtain the parameter estimates of the long run relationship between foreign capital inflows and inflation. By using the Forecast Error Variance Decomposition techniques, the cause-effect analysis of foreign capital inflows and inflation was determined. Results provide evidence of a long run relationship between the series. Results further indicate that inflation is sensitive to foreign capital inflows variables such as net official development assistance received and remittance inflows in Nigeria. Policies that reduce the negative impact on inflation are recommended in the body of the paper.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-104
Author(s):  
Boubekeur Baba ◽  
Güven Sevil

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of foreign capital shifts on economic activities and asset prices in South Korea. Design/methodology/approach The authors in this paper apply the Bayesian threshold vector autoregressive (TVAR) model to estimate the regimes of large and low inflows of foreign capital. Then, structural impulse-response analysis is used to check whether the responses of the variables differ across the estimated regimes. The model is estimated using quarterly data of foreign capital inflows, gross domestic product (GDP), consumer price index, credit to the private non-financial sector, real effective exchange rate (REER), stock returns and house prices. Findings The main findings suggest that large inflows of gross foreign capital, foreign direct investments (FDI) and foreign portfolio investments (FPI) are ineffective to boost economic growth, but large inflows of other foreign investments (OFIs) significantly contribute to GDP. The decreases in the foreign capital inflows are associated with larger depreciation of REER. The large inflows of gross foreign capital, FDI and OFIs are associated with further expansion of credit supply to private non-financial sectors. Research limitations/implications The policy implications of foreign capital inflows are of particular importance to all the emerging markets alike. However, the empirical analysis is limited to the case of South Korea due to various reasons. The experience with international capital inflows among emerging markets is heterogeneous. Therefore, it would be better to take each case of emerging market individually. In addition, TVAR analysis requires a long data sample, which unfortunately is not available for most of the emerging markets. Originality/value The foreign capital inflows are shown to be procyclical and notoriously volatile in many studies. Nevertheless, this topic has commonly been studied using linear VAR models, which do not properly deal with the cyclical characteristics of foreign capital inflows. This study attempts to resolve these methodological limitations by examining a non-linear VAR model that is capable of capturing the structural breaks associated with the cyclical behaviors of foreign capital inflows.


Author(s):  
Didit Purnomo

Generally, foreign capital invested in developing countries function as externally additional capital resources in order to accelerate investment and economical growth, and also to mobilize capital as well as to transform economical structure. In this article, the writer discusses many impacts as a logical consequence of foreign capital inflows in some developing countries, including low income countries. Here, much discussion is talking about pros and cons arguments related to foreign capital inflows. The writer views that the abundance of foreign capital inflows in some developing countries mostly brings to negative impacts (from the view of balance sheet). To support his argument, the writer also put a "trivia hypothesis" such as: tightening rules about foreign capital inflows to make budget deficit not getting worse, 'reducing the structure of industrial sectors consisting many industrial sub sectors which is producing high-value added product and non-resources-based products and also not opening opportunity to posses as much 100 % for foreign investors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 235-260
Author(s):  
Idris Ahmed Sani ◽  
Ajengbe Abidemi Samuel ◽  
Wada Emmanuel Ome

The study examined the impact of foreign capital inflow on manufacturing sector growth in Nigeria using time series data from 1986 to 2019. The study specifically sought to examine the causal relationship between foreign capital inflows and the growth of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria in the long run The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation technique to account for the impact of foreign capital inflows on the manufacturing sector growth in Nigeria. The study utilized the Contribution of Manufacturing Sector to Gross Domestic Product (MGDP) as proxy for manufacturing sector growth. Manufacturing sector growth was the dependent variable while foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign portfolio investment (FPI) and foreign Aid (FOA) were the independent variables, and were regarded as proxies for foreign capital inflows. The study results revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FDI had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to gross domestic product (GDP). The study also revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FPI had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to the GDP. The study further revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FOA had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to the GDP. Based on these findings, the study has recommended that the Nigerian government should promote foreign capital inflows through the FDI in order to achieve the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the country’s economy in the long run. The government should also encourage foreign capital inflows through the FPI in order to attain the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the Nigerian economy. Finally, the government should also support foreign capital inflows through the FOA in order to attain the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the Nigerian economy in the long run.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Ali Raza ◽  
Syed Tehseen Jawaid ◽  
Sahar Afshan ◽  
Mohd Zaini Abd Karim

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of foreign capital inflows and economic growth on stock market capitalization in Pakistan by using the annual time series data from the period of 1976 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach – The autoregressive distributed lag bound testing cointegration approach, the error correction model and the rolling window estimation procedures have been performed to analyze the long run, short run and behavior of coefficients, respectively. Findings – Results indicate that foreign direct investment (FDI), workers’ remittances and economic growth have significant positive relationship with the stock market capitalization in long run as well as in short run. Results of the dynamic ordinary least square and the fully modified ordinary least square suggest that the initial results of long-run coefficients are robust. Results of variance decomposition test show the bidirectional causal relationship of FDI and economic growth with stock market capitalization. However, unidirectional causal relationship is found in between workers’ remittances and stock market capitalization. Practical implications – It is suggested that in Pakistan, investors can make their investment decisions through keeping an eye on the direction of the considered foreign capital inflows and economic growth. Originality/value – This paper makes a unique contribution to the literature with reference to Pakistan, being a pioneering attempt to investigate the effects of foreign capital inflows and economic growth on stock market by using long time series data and applying more rigorous techniques.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheereen Fauzel

Purpose Based on a panel vector error correction model (PVECM), this study aims to investigate the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on tourism development in a selected group of 17 small island economies during 1995-2018. In the long run, a positive and direct relationship was found between foreign investment and tourists’ arrival. Moreover, economic performance and tourists’ income were also found to be key determinants of tourism development. It is further observed that there is bidirectional causality between the two variables. Hence, one can argue that FDI is a key element for tourism development. So, if the countries can attract more FDI and grow economically, these elements will contribute positively to the sector in the future. Design/methodology/approach This work uses rigorous dynamic time series analysis, namely, a dynamic PVECM, which takes into account dynamism and endogeneity issues in tourism modelling. Furthermore, the PVECM is also appropriately suited for integrating short- and long-run analysis. Findings The results confirm that FDI has been an important ingredient in the tourism development of the island economies in the long run. Interestingly, a bidirectional causality between FDI and tourism development is validated. Moreover, growth will as well be important. So, if the country can attract more FDI and grow economically, these elements will attract the tourists of the future. Originality/value Relatively few studies have rigorously studied the relationships between FDI and tourism development, particularly with respect to developing countries and small island states which rely heavily on tourism as well as FDI. As such existing research has neglected dynamic and reverse causality analysis in their respective FDI-tourism modelling. This study thus attempts to address the above and supplement the literature by investigating the direct and indirect relationship between FDI and tourism development for the case of small island economies over the period 1995-2018. Moreover, the implication of foreign capital inflows on tourism futures will as well be developed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 235-260
Author(s):  
Idris Ahmed Sani ◽  
Ajengbe Abidemi Samuel ◽  
Wada Emmanuel Ome

The study examined the impact of foreign capital inflow on manufacturing sector growth in Nigeria using time series data from 1986 to 2019. The study specifically sought to examine the causal relationship between foreign capital inflows and the growth of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria in the long run The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation technique to account for the impact of foreign capital inflows on the manufacturing sector growth in Nigeria. The study utilized the Contribution of Manufacturing Sector to Gross Domestic Product (MGDP) as proxy for manufacturing sector growth. Manufacturing sector growth was the dependent variable while foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign portfolio investment (FPI) and foreign Aid (FOA) were the independent variables, and were regarded as proxies for foreign capital inflows. The study results revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FDI had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to gross domestic product (GDP). The study also revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FPI had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to the GDP. The study further revealed that foreign capital inflows through the FOA had a significant positive impact on contributions of the manufacturing sector to the GDP. Based on these findings, the study has recommended that the Nigerian government should promote foreign capital inflows through the FDI in order to achieve the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the country’s economy in the long run. The government should also encourage foreign capital inflows through the FPI in order to attain the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the Nigerian economy. Finally, the government should also support foreign capital inflows through the FOA in order to attain the desired level of manufacturing sector growth in the Nigerian economy in the long run.


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