Does ICTs decrease the spread of informal economy in Africa?

This paper assesses the effect of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the informal economy. We applied the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) on a sample of 45 African countries from 2000 to 2017. According to the findings, the use of ICTs (mobile phone and internet) decreases the spread of the informal economy in Africa. These results are robust to a battery of robustness checks. Furthermore, the results of the mediation analysis show that the effect of ICTs on the informal economy is mediated by financial development, human capital and control of corruption. From a policy perspective, we suggest a quantitative and qualitative consolidation of technological infrastructures, for a sustainable mitigation of the rise of informal sector in Africa.     

外商直接投资的产业结构效应——基于江苏数据的协整分析

外商直接投资结构和产业结构的优化对经济增长起着重要的作用,格兰杰因果检验验证了它们之间的关系,并通过协整检验发现三者之间的协整关系,由实证分析可知,第一产业比重的下降会促进第一产业外商直接投资增速的增长和经济增长,第二产业外商直接投资增速的增长和第二产业比重的下降会促进经济增长,第三产业外商直接投资增速的增长和第三产业比重上升会促进经济增长.     

我国超大城市碳排放与经济增长关系的实证研究

城市经济发展离不开能源消费,而能源消费直接导致大量的碳排放,深入研究碳排放与经济增长之间关系对超大城市实施节能减排、发展低碳经济具有重要意义。本文分别选取了上海市、北京市、天津市和重庆市1995～2014年碳排放和经济增长的相关数据,对两者的脱钩关系和格兰杰因果关系进行实证研究,得出长期内实施碳减排政策不会阻碍超大城市经济增长的结论。因此,超大城市应该积极推动低碳城市建设,不断推动产业结构升级,改善能源消费结构,积极实施节能减排政策和倡导低碳生活。     

Digitalization and economic growth: A comparative analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa and OECD economies

This paper examines the contribution of digitalization to economic growth of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) in comparison with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies. The main reason for comparing the most and the least developed countries to measure the effects of digitalization is to have an insight of whether such effects depend on the levels of development of the country. New technologies in Sub Saharan Africa are assumed to have played significant roles in economic activity, including accessibility of communications, which was impeded by poor infrastructure, accommodation of the poor majority who were initially financially excluded from mobile banking and participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in e-commerce. On the other hand, due to the effects of digitalization, least developed countries in SSA have been facing a premature deindustrialization.This study employs a panel dataset consisting of 11 years from 2006 to 2016 for 41 SSA and 33 OECD economies and we use the generalized linear methods of moments (GMM) estimators. The results show that digitalization has a positive contribution to economic growth in both groups of countries. The effect of broadband internet is minimal for SSA compared to OECD countries, whereas the impact of mobile telecommunications is higher in SSA compared to the OECD counterpart. These results are particularly interesting as less advanced technologies create more opportunities in the least developed countries since there is more space for improvement. With respect to policy implications, this study recommends that SSA governments should invest more in ICT along with other infrastructures, so as to benefit from digitalization and to realize significant economic growth.     

我国经济增长、能源结构与能源消费关系的实证分析

经济增长、能源结构与能源消费的关系是我国在保持经济增长的同时解决能源供需矛盾,实现能源、经济与环境可持续发展的重要问题。文章基于1978年~2007年能源统计数据,对中国经济增长、能源结构与能源消费进行了因果关系和协整性的研究。发现中国存在单向的经济增长到能源消费和能源结构的因果关系,以及能源结构和能源消费的双向因果关系。短期与长期中能源结构对于能源消费的影响都要大于经济增长对于能源消费的影响。     

The tax burden on mobile network operators in Africa

We estimate the tax burden on the mobile telecommunication sector in twenty-five African countries. This tax burden encompasses not only standard and special taxes under the control of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) but also fees raised by the national telecommunication Regulatory Agency (RA). Given the lack of financial data at the country level, we build a representative mobile network operator named TELCO, using the GSMA Intelligence database. We compute the Average Effective Tax Rate (AETR) for this firm considering general and special taxes and fees levied only on the telecommunication sector. We develop a web application (https://data.cerdi.uca.fr/telecom/), allowing the reader to replicate our analysis or modify TELCO and tax parameters. The AETR varies significantly across countries, ranging from 33 percent in Ethiopia to 118 percent in Niger. Special taxes and fees represent a large share of the AETR, illustrating some taxation by regulation and a potential tax competition (a race to the top) between the MoF and the RA. We compare TELCO's AETR with that of a representative gold mining plant and a standard company with a similar gross return. The tax burden of the telecommunications sector is higher than that of the mining sector in 15 of the 19 countries for which we have data on the gold mining sector.     

中国对“一带一路”亚非欧重点国家直接投资效率评价研究——基于动态DEA方法

对外直接投资效率问题关系着我国对外直接投资的质量,自“一带一路”倡议实施以来,2019年我国对外直接投资存量已达21988.8亿美元。为促进我国“一带一路”合作机制进一步走深走实,本文基于动态DEA模型,选取亚非欧60个国家为研究对象,研究2013~2019年我国对“一带一路”沿线国家的直接投资效率。实证分析发现:我国对亚非欧60个国家的OFDI总效率整体处于中低水平,国别差异较大,国家间差距呈现出亚洲>欧洲>非洲的情况;各项指标效率表现为欧洲>亚洲>非洲;三大区域IDI、ET、FR效率值呈现出差异化特征。为此提出加强东道国基础设施建设国际合作,优化产业结构,强化双边贸易关系等对策建议,从而促进“一带一路”合作机制的深入开展,加强与沿线国家的经贸投资和国际合作。     

中国通货膨胀与经济增长关系的实证研究：基于地区层面的视角

选取1978年～2009年的年度时间序列数据,在协整分析的基础之上,运用格兰杰因果关系检验和脉冲响应函数方法,对中国以及中国分地区的通货膨胀和经济发展的关系分别进行了实证研究。结果显示：全国范围内的通货膨胀与经济增长之间存在着长期稳定的关系,并具有双向的格兰杰因果关系。但是,从各个地区的通货膨胀与经济增长的关系来看,结果却不尽相同。在此基础上,文章从两个方面提出了简要的政策建议。     

Diffusion of mobile telephony: Analysis of determinants in Cameroon

This paper explores the diffusion of mobile telephone technology in Cameroon by identifying and analyzing the determinants of this diffusion. Studying the diffusion of mobile communications in African countries by integrating them into panels of developing countries is problematic. This approach is likely to mask the intrinsic differences as concerns the diffusion process. This survey shows, through the estimation of an S-shaped growth curve, that the Logistic model best describes the diffusion of mobile phone technology in Cameroon. Income, openness to competition and the use of SMS are key forces driving this diffusion. Forecasts indicate an increase of almost 70% in the demand by 2026 as far as mobile phone use in Cameroon is concerned. This implies not only an improvement in operators' and State's revenues, but also, the need to invest in infrastructures. Our recommendation therefore calls for a greater liberalization of the mobile phone market in Cameroon. In addition, given the complementary relationship between the core and the mobile networks, infrastructural investments are also needed in both sectors.     

江苏省能源消费与经济增长的互动关系研究

本文依据1985~2009年江苏省能源消费总量和GDP的统计数据,运用协整理论,格兰杰因果关系检验,并在建立VAR模型的基础上进行脉冲响应函数和方差分析,对能源消费与经济增长的互动关系进行定量分析。结果表明,江苏省能源消费与GDP之间存在长期稳定的均衡关系,并存在从能源消费到经济增长的单向因果关系。为保持江苏省经济持续、快速、健康发展,必须运用各种措施,通过政策的有机组合实现能源消费与经济增长的协调发展。     

人力资本、工业化与经济增长——基于湖南省的实证研究

人力资本是经济增长的重要源泉。本文运用主成分分析法测算出湖南省1988~2008年的人力资本存量。然后基于改进的柯布——道格拉斯生产函数,建立两个模型,利用Johansen协整分析、Granger因果分析方法、VEC模型和脉冲响应函数,比较分析了包含工业化程度和不包含工业化程度的条件下,湖南省人力资本对经济增长的影响。研究结果表明:湖南省人力资本与经济增长存在长期协整关系,但作用并不显著,而短期内人力资本对经济增长存在显著正效应;工业化程度影响了人力资本对经济增长的作用,并且推动了经济增长,但短期内工业化对经济增长的正效应并不显著。     

Status of development,regulation and adoption of GM agriculture in Africa: Views and positions of stakeholder groups

The use of genetically modified (GM) crop technology in tackling food security problems and poverty reduction in Africa continues to generate debates over its benefits and safety. Only four countries, South Africa, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Egypt have commercialized GM crops in Africa but controversy surrounds current cultivation of GM maize in Egypt. Our study provides new perspectives on the status, development and regulation of GM crops through examining the views of 305 stakeholders in six African countries across four regions: South Africa, Kenya (East Africa), Egypt and Tunisia (North Africa), Ghana and Nigeria (West Africa), supplemented by interviews with relevant international organizations. The study revealed the challenges leading to the development of biosafety regulatory frameworks and the role of individual stakeholders in the facilitation of GM crops across African countries. This study also revealed that some countries may go through a Fiber–Feed–Food (F3) approach to adopt GM crops where Bt cotton will be adopted first followed by GM crops for livestock feed while undergoing all the necessary assessments before producing GM foods for human consumption. An overwhelming majority of stakeholders placed emphasis on risk analysis (risk assessment and management) in view of limited capacity, lack of scientific expertise and public concern, and encouraged a centralized approach to risk assessment similar to the European Union model of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).     

Technology,education, and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

This study examines whether telecommunications infrastructure promotes economic growth in countries with better access to education compared to those with less access. Using a panel of 45 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1993 to 2015, the results using the fixed-effects, two-step feasible efficient generalized method of moments estimator indicate that in countries with better access to education, the Internet contributes to economic growth, while mobile phones do not seem to do so. These results suggest that while education is regarded as pivotal for the Internet, it seems to be irrelevant for mobile phone usage.     

Digital divide and financial development in Africa

This paper analyses the influence of the digital divide on the new IMF financial development index on a panel of 34 African countries over the period 2005–2017. Using the instrumental variables technique, we arrive at the main result that ICT divide is a severe handicap for the financial systems development in Africa. The use of financial development sub-indices relating to financial institutions and financial markets, as well as their dimensions confirms the negative effect of the digital divide. Our result remains stable when we use alternative measures of financial development and ICT indicators. Furthermore, we found that the digital divide between countries is also a severe handicap for the financial development of countries lagging behind. On the other hand, countries with a technological lead or a digital dividend have relatively developed financial systems. Some recommendations have been suggested to promote digital penetration in Africa, as well as to improve the receptivity and flexibility of African financial systems.     

中国对外直接投资、东道国政府治理与经济增长 ——基于东盟国家的经验证据

东盟作为我国新一轮对外开放和“一带一路”建设的重要区域,一直是我国对外直接投资的重点关注对象。评估东盟各国的政府治理水平,可以更好的判断投资环境、识别风险,助力双方互惠共赢。本文通过构建东盟国家的政府治理指数,实证分析中国对外直接投资、东盟国家政府治理对东盟国家经济增长的影响,研究表明:中国对外直接投资促进了东盟国家的经济增长;东盟国家的政府治理对其经济增长并没有直接影响,但是却抑制了中国直接投资对东盟国家经济增长的促进作用。未来中国对东盟国家的直接投资应更注重长期效应,重视营商环境以及国家吸收外国投资的能力,根据东盟国家的政治经济发展差异,实行“一国一策”的投资策略。     

Economic growth and the development of telecommunications infrastructure in the G-20 countries: A panel-VAR approach

This paper examines the linkages between the development of telecommunications infrastructure (DTI), economic growth, and four key indicators of operation of a modern economy: gross capital formation, foreign direct investment inflows, urbanization rates, and trade openness. By studying the G-20 countries over the period 1991–2012 and employing a panel vector auto-regressive model for detecting Granger causality, we find a network of long-run causal connections between these variables, including bidirectional causality between DTI and economic growth.     

我国人力资本投资与经济增长的实证分析

由于模型构建和变量度量的主观性,我国学者通过扩展Cobb-Douglas生产函数来直接计量人力资本对经济增长的贡献率的做法是不足取的。一个可行的方法是首先检验人力资本与经济增长之间的因果关系,然后再通过协整性检验对两者之间的数量关系进行分析。分析结果显示,代表人力资本水平的人力资本投资在长期和短期内都可以促进经济的增长。     

基于时间序列单方向因果测度的多国电子信息产业经济发展分析

通过主体对比法研究中、美、日3国电子信息产业的发展历程,从中寻找对中国电子信息发展的启示。以专利产出对产业经济的影响为研究点,利用计量经济学方法探究了多个专利指标与经济指标在宏观动态经济系统中的内稳态关系。基于协整和误差修正概念建立向量自回归模型,将时间序列计量方法应用于产业经济状况分析,在Granger因果测度条件下,利用多变量时间序列的单方向因果测度,定量描述专利发展对电子信息产业经济的FMO,OMO值。得出以下结论:授权数与GDP在Granger理论意义上存在弱因果关系;发明占比与GDP存在双向的因果关系;专利数量和发明占比对GDP的OMO值为0.450,两者存在内生联系,对经济发展具有协同作用。