Indices can mislead on Africa business costs

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Foreign Exchange Reserves ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Ease Of Doing Business ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Import Restrictions ◽  
Business Cost ◽  
Ssa Countries

Subject Outlook for business cost rankings in Africa. Significance The World Bank's 2015 Doing Business report identifies five sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries -- Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo -- as among the ten "top improvers" globally for ease of doing business. However, such assessments often suffer from data inaccuracies, overestimate the relevance of formal rules, and miss informal costs such as those caused by graft. Impacts Rankings on SSA cities' 'livability' could influence how employers determine hardship allowances for expatriate workers. First-mover advantages, such as French firms operating in West Africa, will partially help to offset burdensome regulations. Internet-based business will benefit from PayPal's entry into Nigeria, which may improve online payments security. Import restrictions by some states to help buttress foreign exchange reserves will cause shortages of some consumer goods.

scholarly journals Remittances, ICT and doing business in Sub-Saharan Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Nicholas Biekpe ◽  
Vanessa Tchamyou
Keyword(s):  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Time To Build ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how linkages between information and communication technology (ICT) and remittances affect the doing of business. Design/methodology/approach The focus is on a panel of 49 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries for the period 2000–2012. The empirical evidence is based on the generalized method of moments. Findings While the authors establish some appealing results in terms of net negative effects on constraints to the doing of business (i.e. time to start a business and time to pay taxes), some positive net effects are also apparent (i.e. number of start-up procedures, time to build a warehouse and time to register a property). The authors also establish ICT penetration thresholds at which the unconditional effect of remittances can be changed from positive to negative, notably: for the number of start-up procedures, an internet level of 9.00 penetration per 100 people is required, while for the time to build a warehouse, a mobile phone penetration level of 32.33 penetration per 100 people is essential. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess linkages between ICT, remittances and doing business in SSA.

scholarly journals A Congolese infant of 4 months and 8 days presenting a severe form of Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-05
Author(s):  
Joseph Bodi
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Severe Form ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Severe Respiratory Failure ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

To date, only a few rare cases of severe forms of Covid-19 in children, especially infant, have been described in other parts of the world. So far no case reported in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We report the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo of an infant of 4 months and 8 days old, who presented after malaria disease, a picture of bronchopneumonia with severe respiratory failure (Pa O2 :49 mmHg). The RT-PCR made it possible to diagnose a Covid-19 of severe form. The infant had probably been infected by his mother and had no other co-morbidities that could induce a decrease in immunity. The CT scan injuries were comparable to those described in adults. Under oxygen, anticoagulation, hydroxychloroquine and Azythromycin, the outcome was good. Pediatricians in SSA countries should be careful and not miss cases of COVID19 in infant population with severe respiratory syndrome usually observed in most of lung infectious disease.

Early Marriage and Correlates among Young Women in Sub-Saharan African Countries

2020 ◽  
pp. 002190962096677
Author(s):  
Jacques M. Elengemoke ◽  
A. Sathiya Susuman
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Early Marriage ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Though several countries have adopted the sexual violence law which criminalizes child marriage, the practice of early marriage persists in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examined the socio-economic and demographic determinants of early marriage among young women in four Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, namely Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Malawi. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to show that young women without formal education have 1.62, 1.59, 1.55 and 2.08 times more risk of early union than their secondary or higher educated counterparts. The study recommends the implementation of a universal, free and compulsory basic education in SSA countries.

Banking technology and cashless economy in selected Sub-Saharan African countries: does education matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ese Urhie ◽  
Ogechi Chiagozie Amonu ◽  
Chiderah Mbah ◽  
Olabanji Olukayode Ewetan ◽  
Oluwatoyin Augustina Matthew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panel Study ◽  
Positive Sign ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bank Branches ◽  
Mobile Cellular ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ssa Countries ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to analyze the effect of banking technology [automated teller machine (ATM) and mobile cellular devices (MOBs)] and other traditional factors on the level of currency in circulation for a sample of 21 selected sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. It also assessed the mitigating effect of education on the relationship between banking technology and the cashless economy. Design/methodology/approach The study used a panel data approach to design a cashless economy model with banking technology – ATM and MOBs – as well as their interaction with education as regressors. Findings This study finds that MOB is significant for promoting a cashless economy, whereas ATM is insignificant in sample SSA countries. The level of education and the number of bank branches were also found to be significant in promoting a cashless economy. The interaction between education and ATM was insignificant but negatively signed, whereas that between education and MOB was significant but had a positive sign. Research limitations/implications Non-availability of data restricted this work to a panel study of selected SSA countries. Subsequent studies should consider single-country case studies. Practical implications Findings from the study imply that for banking technology to drive a cashless economy effectively, education has to be improved. Originality/value The ratio of cash in circulation to total money supply was used as a measure of the cashless economy. The study also evaluated the moderating effect of education on banking technology.

scholarly journals Molecular Diagnosis of Abdominal Armillifer grandis Pentastomiasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 2362-2364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Tappe ◽  
Mihály Sulyok ◽  
Lajos Rózsa ◽  
Birgit Muntau ◽  
Alexandra Haeupler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Molecular Diagnostics ◽  
Morphological Study ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
The Tropics

Pentastomiasis is an emerging snake-borne parasitic zoonosis in the tropics. We describe a molecular and morphological study to diagnose a cluster of asymptomatic abdominal human infections caused byArmillifer grandis.The findings may indicate a silent epidemic in a rural area where severe symptomatic ocular cases with the same parasite species have recently surfaced. Molecular diagnostics are of increasing importance when patient material from remote areas cannot be thoroughly examined locally for logistic reasons.

The nexus between economic institutions and unemployment: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullahi Abdulhakeem Kilishi ◽  
Hammed Adesola Adebowale ◽  
Sodiq Abiodun Oladipupo
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Institutions ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the nexus between economic institutions (EI) and unemployment in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Specifically, the paper examines the impact of aggregate EI and ten different components of institutions on total, male and female unemployment in SSA. Design/methodology/approach The paper used unbalanced panel data of 37 SSA countries covering the period between 1995 and 2018. A dynamic heterogenous panel data model is specified for the study. Two alternative estimation techniques of dynamic fixed effect and pool mean group methods were used to estimate the models. The choice of appropriate method is based on Hausman specification test. Findings The findings reveal that aggregate EI and institutions related to the monetary system, trade flows, government spending and fiscal process significantly lead to less unemployment in the long-run. However, there is no evidence of a significant relationship between EI and unemployment in the short-run. These findings are consistent for total, male and female unemployment, respectively. Practical implications To reduce unemployment significantly in the long run, policymakers in SSA need to build more market-friendly institutions that will incentivize private investment, allow free movement of labour and goods, as well as guarantee a stable macroeconomic environment and efficient fiscal system. Originality/value Most of the existing studies focused on the influence of labour market institutions on unemployment ignoring the effects of other forms of institutions. While available studies on the link between institutions and unemployment used either OECD or other developed countries sample, with scanty evidence from Africa. However, the effects of EI could vary across regions. Thus, generalizing the findings from developed countries for SSA countries and other developing countries may be misleading. Hence, this paper contributes to the existing literature by examining the nexus between different types of EI and unemployment using the SSA sample.

Interactive effects of human capital in finance–economic growth nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1192-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muazu Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interactive effect of human capital in financial development–economic growth nexus. Relative to the quantity-based measure of enrolment rates, the main aim was to determine how quality of human capital proxied by pupil–teacher ratio influences the relationship between domestic financial sector development and overall economic growth. Design/methodology/approach Data are obtained from the World Development Indicators of the World Bank for 29 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries over the period 1980–2014. The analyses were conducted using the system generalised method of moments within the endogenous growth framework while controlling for country-specific and time effects. The author also follows Papke and Wooldridge procedure in examining the long-run estimates of the variables of interest. Findings The key finding is that, while both human capital and financial development unconditionally promotes growth in both the short and long run, results from the interactive terms suggest that, irrespective of the measure of finance, financial sector development largely spurs growth on the back of quality human capital. This finding is also confirmed by the marginal and net effects where the interactive effect of pupil–teacher ratio and indicators of finance are consistently huge relative to the enrolment. Statistically, the results are robust to model specification. Practical implications While it is laudable for SSA countries to increase access to education, it is equally more crucial to increase the supply of teachers at the same time improving on the limited teaching and learning materials. Indeed, there are efforts to develop rather low levels of the financial sector owing to its unconditional growth effects. Beyond the direct benefit of finance, however, higher growth effect of finance is conditioned on the quality level of human capital. The outcome of this study should therefore reignite the recognition of the complementarity role of human capital and finance in economic growth process. Originality/value The study makes significant contributions to existing finance–growth literature in so many ways: first, the auhor extend the literature by empirically examining how different measures of human capital shape the finance–economic growth nexus. Through this the author is able to bring a different perspective in the literature highlighting the role of countries’ human capital stock in mediating the impact of financial deepening on economic growth. Second, the author makes a more systematic attempt to evaluate the relative importance of finance and human capital in growth process while controlling for several ancillary variables.

A new index to measure ease of doing business at the sub-national level

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khee Giap Tan ◽  
Mulya Amri ◽  
Nurina Merdikawati
Keyword(s):  
Explanatory Power ◽  
National Level ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Ease Of Doing Business

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel framework to measure ease of doing business (EDB) that undertakes a holistic approach incorporating three distinct environments: attractiveness to investors, business friendliness, and competitive policies (ABC). This is offered as an alternative to existing popular indicators of doing business (DB), allowing for better approximation of investment and economic growth at the sub-national level. Design/methodology/approach The proposed “EDB Index ABC” aggregates 74 indicators into five sub-environments, three environments, and ultimately into the overall EDB Index ABC. Values are standardised using the standardised score method. The framework is applied to 33 Indonesian provinces using a combination of primary data from surveying the business community and government departments as well as secondary data from formal government statistics. Findings The findings suggest a positive association between the proposed EDB Index ABC and competitiveness as well as investments into Indonesian provinces. In terms of explanatory power, attractiveness to investors and business friendliness seem to be stronger and more consistent, while the role of competitive policies is more ambiguous. Originality/value This research departs significantly from conventional approaches to the study of DB that tend to overwhelmingly focus on formal regulatory aspects by including macroeconomic factors such as market potential and infrastructure resilience as well as micro-level variables such as profitability and cost effectiveness, and the role of government in managing competition. Responding to calls for a bottom-up approach in understanding the EDB, the EDB Index ABC is applied to 33 Indonesian provinces.

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