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Modelling the Fiscal Effects of Aid: An Impulse Response Approach for Ghana

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  • Morrissey, Oliver
  • Osei, Robert
  • Lloyd, Tim A.

Abstract

An important feature of aid to developing countries is that it is given to the government. As a result aid has the potential to affect budgetary behaviour. Although the (albeit limited) aid-growth literature has addressed the effect of aid on policy, it has tended to neglect the effect of aid on the fiscal behaviour of governments. While fiscal response models have been developed to examine the effects of aid on fiscal aggregates - taxation, expenditure and borrowing - the underlying theory is ad hoc and empirical methods used are subject to severe limitations. This paper applies techniques developed in the "macroeconometrics" literature to estimate the dynamic structural relationship between aid and fiscal aggregates. Using vector autoregressive methods, an impulse response function is estimated to model the effect of aid on fiscal behaviour in Ghana. Results suggest that aid does not have a direct effect on the volume of government spending in Ghana but is treated as a substitute for domestic borrowing. Government spending does rise significantly following aid but this is principally due to an indirect effect arising from higher tax revenue associated with aid inflows. This, aid to Ghana has tended to be associated with reduced domestic borrowing and increased tax effort, combining to increase public spending.

Suggested Citation

  • Morrissey, Oliver & Osei, Robert & Lloyd, Tim A., 2002. "Modelling the Fiscal Effects of Aid: An Impulse Response Approach for Ghana," Discussion Paper Series 26226, Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:hwwadp:26226
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.26226
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Quartey, 2005. "Innovative ways of making aid effective in Ghana: tied aid versus direct budgetary support," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(8), pages 1077-1092.
    2. Agénor, Pierre-Richard & Bayraktar, Nihal & El Aynaoui, Karim, 2008. "Roads out of poverty? Assessing the links between aid, public investment, growth, and poverty reduction," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 277-295, June.
    3. Giulia Mascagni, 2014. "Aid and Taxation: Evidence from Ethiopia," Working Paper Series 7314, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Bwire, Thomas & Lloyd, Tim & Morrissey, Oliver, 2013. "A Timeseries Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Aid on Central Government's Fiscal Budget in Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series 101, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Aaron Batten, 2009. "Foreign Aid, Government Behaviour and Fiscal Policy Outcomes in Papua New Guinea," International and Development Economics Working Papers idec09-03, International and Development Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    International Development; International Relations/Trade;

    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • O23 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Fiscal and Monetary Policy in Development
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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