IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/glecon/v10y2010i2n6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Peace Dividend for Sri Lanka: The Case for a Return to Prosperity Following the End of Hostilities

Author

Listed:
  • Wijeweera Albert

    (The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi)

  • Webb Matthew J.

    (The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi)

Abstract

Throughout its long years of civil war, Sri Lanka maintained a healthy rate of GDP growth and increasing levels of military spending. Now that the war has ended, Sri Lanka faces the challenge of rebuilding and switching to a peace-time economy with potentially lower levels of defense spending. We employ a cointegration analysis and an error correction model to examine the relationship between non/military spending in Sri Lanka and identify the possible economic benefits of decreased military spending. We find that GDP growth in Sri Lanka is generally not responsive to military spending, but responds positively to non-military spending. Although non-military spending exerts a positive effect upon economic growth compared to military spending, the outcome is still sub-optimal due to the absence of an income multiplier effect. This prefaces potentially good economic news for Sri Lanka in the coming years assuming that hostilities do not resume, that the government can successfully divert resources from the military to the non-military sector and that private sector investment can be effectively encouraged to exert a crowding in effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Wijeweera Albert & Webb Matthew J., 2010. "A Peace Dividend for Sri Lanka: The Case for a Return to Prosperity Following the End of Hostilities," Global Economy Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 10(2), pages 1-11, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bpj:glecon:v:10:y:2010:i:2:n:6
    DOI: 10.2202/1524-5861.1634
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2202/1524-5861.1634
    Download Restriction: For access to full text, subscription to the journal or payment for the individual article is required.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2202/1524-5861.1634?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Engle, Robert & Granger, Clive, 2015. "Co-integration and error correction: Representation, estimation, and testing," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 39(3), pages 106-135.
    2. Ching-chong Lai & Jhy-yuan Shieh & Wen-Ya Chang, 2002. "Endogenous Growth and Defense Expenditures: A New Explanation of the Benoit Hypothesis," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 179-186.
    3. Paul Collier, 1995. "Civil war and the economies of the peace dividend," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/1995-08, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    4. Paul Collier, 1995. "Civil war and the economies of the peace dividend," CSAE Working Paper Series 1995-08, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    5. Sandler,Todd & Hartley,Keith, 1995. "The Economics of Defense," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521447287.
    6. Julide Yildirim & Selami Sezgin & Nadir Ocal, 2005. "Military Expenditure And Economic Growth In Middle Eastern Countries: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 283-295.
    7. F. Gerard Adams & Jere R. Behrman & Michael Boldin, 1991. "Government Expenditures, Defense, and Economic Growth in the Ldcs: A Revised Perspective," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 11(2), pages 19-35, February.
    8. Peter Batchelor & J. Paul Dunne & David Saal, 2000. "Military spending and economic growth in South Africa," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 553-571.
    9. James Murdoch & Chung-Ron Pi & Todd Sandler, 1997. "The impact of defense and non-defense public spending on growth in Asia and Latin America," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 205-224.
    10. Ram, Rati, 1995. "Defense expenditure and economic growth," Handbook of Defense Economics, in: Keith Hartley & Todd Sandler (ed.), Handbook of Defense Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 10, pages 251-274, Elsevier.
    11. Paul Dunne & Eftychia Nikolaidou & Dimitrios Vougas, 2001. "Defence spending and economic growth: A causal analysis for Greece and Turkey," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 5-26.
    12. Michael Gerace, 2002. "US Military Expenditures and Economic Growth: Some Evidence from Spectral Methods," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11.
    13. Shieh, Jhy-yuan & Lai, Ching-chong & Chang, Wen-ya, 2002. "The impact of military burden on long-run growth and welfare," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 443-454, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ganegodage, K. Renuka & Rambaldi, Alicia N., 2014. "Economic consequences of war: Evidence from Sri Lanka," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 42-53.
    2. Sriananthakumar, Sivagowry & Narayan, Seema, 2015. "Are prolonged conflict and tension deterrents for stock market integration? The case of Sri Lanka," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 504-520.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Garfinkel, Michelle R. & Skaperdas, Stergios (ed.), 2012. "The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Peace and Conflict," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195392777.
    2. Innocent.U. Duru & Millicent Adanne Eze & Bartholomew.O.N. Okafor & Abubakar Yusuf & Lawrence.O. Ede & Abubakar Sadiq Saleh, 2021. "Military Outlay and Economic Growth: The Scenarios of Lake Chad Basin Countries of the Republic of Chad and Nigeria," Growth, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 8(1), pages 12-26.
    3. Muhammad Shahbaz & Talat Afza & Muhammad Shahbaz Shabbir, 2013. "Does Defence Spending Impede Economic Growth? Cointegration And Causality Analysis For Pakistan," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 105-120, April.
    4. Albert Wijeweera & Matthew J. Webb, 2012. "Using the Feder-Ram and Military Keynesian Models to Examine the Link Between Defence Spending and Economic Growth in Sri Lanka," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 303-311, May.
    5. Tiwari, Aviral & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2011. "Does Defence Spending Stimulate Economic Growth in India?," MPRA Paper 30880, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 18 Apr 2011.
    6. Saba Ismail, 2017. "Military Expenditure and Economic Growth in South Asian Countries: Empirical Evidences," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(3), pages 318-325.
    7. Giorgio d'Agostino & Luca Pieroni & J Paul Dunne, 2010. "Assessing the Effects of Military Expenditure on Growth," Working Papers 1012, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    8. Lin Hung-Pin & Tsung-Li Wang & Cheng-Lang Yang, 2016. "Further Causality Evidence on Arms Race, Inflation and Economic Growth," ECONOMIC COMPUTATION AND ECONOMIC CYBERNETICS STUDIES AND RESEARCH, Faculty of Economic Cybernetics, Statistics and Informatics, vol. 50(2), pages 123-136.
    9. Syed Ali Raza & Muhammad Shahbaz & Sudharshan Reddy Paramati, 2017. "Dynamics of Military Expenditure and Income Inequality in Pakistan," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 1035-1055, April.
    10. J. Paul Dunne & Ron Smith & Dirk Willenbockel, 2005. "Models Of Military Expenditure And Growth: A Critical Review," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(6), pages 449-461.
    11. Chien-Chiang Lee & Sheng-Tung Chen, 2007. "Do Defence Expenditures Spur Gdp? A Panel Analysis From Oecd And Non-Oecd Countries," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 265-280.
    12. Angus C. Chu & Ching-Chong Lai, 2012. "On the Growth and Welfare Effects of Defense R&D," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 14(3), pages 473-492, June.
    13. Kimbambu Tsasa Vangu, Jean - Paul, 2012. "Analyse de la Relation Guerres Civiles et Croissance Économique [Civil Wars and Economic Growth in DRC]," MPRA Paper 42424, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Feb 2012.
    14. Shin-Jen Tzeng & Ching-Chong Lai & Chun-Chieh Huang, 2008. "Does Military Expenditure Matter For Inflation And Economic Growth?," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(6), pages 471-478.
    15. Serhan Cevik & John Ricco, 2018. "No buck for the bang: revisiting the military-growth nexus," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 45(4), pages 639-653, November.
    16. Hou Na & Chen Bo, 2014. "Military Spending and Economic Growth in An Augmented Solow Model: A Panel Data Investigation for OECD Countries," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, August.
    17. Olumuyiwa Tolulope APANISILE & Olalekan Charles OKUNLOLA, 2014. "An Empirical Analysis Of Effects Of Military Spending On Economic Growth In Nigeria: A Bound Testing Approach To Co-Integration 1989-2013," Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 6(6), pages 117-130, December.
    18. Hung-Pin Lin, 2012. "Does Defense Spending Surprise Long-Run Inflation, Economic Growth and Welfare?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(1), pages 1020-1031.
    19. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-513 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Raza, Syed Ali & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2014. "To Battle Income Inequality, Focus on Military Expenditures: Lesson from Pakistan," MPRA Paper 57773, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Saba Charles Shaaba, 2022. "Defence Spending and Economic Growth in South Africa: Evidence from Cointegration and Co-Feature Analysis," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 28(1), pages 51-100, February.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:glecon:v:10:y:2010:i:2:n:6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.