Spatial Interdependence in US Outward FDI into Africa,Latin America and the Caribbean

The existing literature on spatial interdependence in FDI flows has primarily focused on developed economies as hosts, with these hosts economically tied together via good infrastructure and historically strong/significant trade flows. In contrast, we explicitly test for the presence of spatial interdependence in developing hosts (Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean) where such ties are not as strong. For US outbound FDI between 1995 and 2007, our empirical results confirm third‐country effects do matter even when controlling for spatial and time‐period fixed effects. Based on the signs of the market potential and spatial lag coefficients, we find US FDI strategies into these regions as consistent with complex vertical specialisation.     

Forensic Auditing Techniques and Fraudulent Practices of Public Institutions in Nigeria

Public institutions are charged with the responsibility of providing essential services for the welfare of the citizens by manipulating the economy＇s financial flow through public expenditure, taxation, and so on. The reliance on public institutions to provide public services in Nigeria has resulted in disappointing results, because chief executives of the institutions take less interest in the degree of its success, and this accounts for the high level of fraudulent practices in such institutions. This study, therefore, examined the relationship between forensic auditing and fraudulent practices in Nigerian public institutions. To achieve this purpose, some hypothetical statements were made and a review of relevant literature was explored. The population of the study consisted of the general managers and accountants of 12 public institutions in Nigeria. The data generated were statistically tested with the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings suggest that both the proactive and reactive forensic auditing techniques have a negative significant relationship with fraudulent practices in Nigerian public institutions. Based on the above, it was recommended that： （1） The Economic and Financial Crime Commission （EFCC）, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission （ICPC）, and other anti-corruption bodies in Nigeria should have, in their payroll, internal forensic auditors to supplement the duties of the internal auditors; （2） Forensic auditors should regularly undergo training and development programs to acquaint them with relevant knowledge and skills for effective forensic auditing; and （3） Forensic auditing should be made mandatory for public institutions by regulatory authorities rather than being voluntary.     

FDI,Foreign Aid,Remittance and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

Using a dynamic spatial framework, this paper investigates how foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign aid and remittances impact the economic growth of 53 African and 34 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Previous growth studies examine how one factor or two of these factors impacts economic growth, which results in biased estimation because of the omitted variable(s). Separate estimation shows foreign aid and FDI affects economic growth in Africa, but when we control for all three factors, only FDI affects African economic growth. For Latin America and the Caribbean, foreign aid and remittances affect growth when estimated separately, while remittances affect growth when they are estimated simultaneously. Finally, both regions' results confirm spatial interdependence is important in explaining economic growth, as growth in one country depends on the growth of its neighboring countries.