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Public Debt Sustainability in Africa: Building Resilience and Challenges Ahead

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  • Ncube, Mthuli

    (University of Oxford)

  • Brixiova, Zuzana

    (UNECA)

Abstract

The increased access of African countries to international capital markets has put public debt sustainability once again high on the continent's policy agenda. Utilizing the 'stabilizing primary balance' approach, we find that the primary balances exceeded those required to keep public debt at the 2007 level in about half of the countries studied. In several cases with high debt burdens, the balances were above those needed to reduce public debt-to-GDP to sustainable thresholds. In most countries the main driver of sustainability has been the interest rate – growth differential (IRGD), underscoring the importance of supporting growth and utilizing the borrowing space for growth-enhancing outlays. Fiscal policies will need to play a greater role in maintaining debt sustainability in the future, especially since the IRGDs are likely to narrow over the longer term. The recent developments such as the fall of the commodity prices and uneven global growth underscore the need for sound macroeconomic and risk management.

Suggested Citation

  • Ncube, Mthuli & Brixiova, Zuzana, 2015. "Public Debt Sustainability in Africa: Building Resilience and Challenges Ahead," IZA Policy Papers 101, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izapps:pp101
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    Cited by:

    1. Ribeiro, Ana Paula & Carvalho, Vitor & Sanches, Hélder, 2021. "Debt dynamics and fiscal policy stance in Cape Verde: Is there evidence of pro-cyclical behavior?," MPRA Paper 111305, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Mthuli Ncube & Zuzana Brixiova, 2013. "Working Paper 188 - Remittances and their Macroeconomic Impact: Evidence from Africa," Working Paper Series 996, African Development Bank.
    3. Florence Dafe & Dennis Essers & Ulrich Volz, 2018. "Localising sovereign debt: The rise of local currency bond markets in sub‐Saharan Africa," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 3317-3344, December.
    4. William Irungu Ng'Ang'A & Julien Chevallier & Simon Wagura Ndiritu, 2019. "Primary balance dynamics and public debt sustainability in Kenya," Working Papers halshs-02120613, HAL.
    5. Okwoche Princewill U. & Iheonu Chimere O., 2021. "Determinants of fiscal effort in sub-Saharan African countries: Does conflict matter?," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 7(2), pages 50-73, June.
    6. António Afonso, & Emanuel Reis Leão, & Dilson Tiny, & Diptes C. P. Bhimjee, 2017. "Fiscal Sustainability Analysis: The Case of PALOP Economies," Working Papers Department of Economics 2017/14, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
    7. Misheck Mutize & Sean J. Gossel, 2019. "Sovereign Credit Rating Announcement Effects on Foreign Currency Denominated Bond and Equity Markets in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 135-152, January.
    8. repec:agr:journl:v:4(605):y:2015:i:4(605):p:189-198 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Walid BENAYED & Foued Badr GABSI & Samia OMRANE BELGUITH, 2015. "Threshold Effect of Public Debt on Domestic Investment: Evidence from Selected African Countries," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(4(605), W), pages 189-198, Winter.
    10. Remme, Michelle & Siapka, Mariana & Sterck, Olivier & Ncube, Mthuli & Watts, Charlotte & Vassall, Anna, 2016. "Financing the HIV response in sub-Saharan Africa from domestic sources: Moving beyond a normative approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 66-76.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public debt; sovereign bonds; interest-growth differential; primary balance; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H6 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt
    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook
    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development

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