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Welfare Effects of Monetary Integration: The Common Monetary Area and Beyond

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  • Mr. Tamon Asonuma
  • Mr. Xavier Debrun
  • Mr. Paul R Masson

Abstract

This paper proposes a quantitative assessment of the welfare effects arising from the Common Monetary Area (CMA) and an array of broader grouping among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Model simulations suggest that (i) participating in the CMA benefits all members; (ii) joining the CMA individually is beneficial for all SADC members except Angola, Mauritius and Tanzania; (iii) creating a symmetric CMA-wide monetary union with a regional central bank carries some costs in terms of foregone anti-inflationary credibility; and (iv) SADC-wide symmetric monetary union continues to be beneficial for all except Mauritius, although the gains for existing CMA members are likely to be limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Mr. Tamon Asonuma & Mr. Xavier Debrun & Mr. Paul R Masson, 2012. "Welfare Effects of Monetary Integration: The Common Monetary Area and Beyond," IMF Working Papers 2012/136, International Monetary Fund.
  • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2012/136
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Abban, Stanley, 2020. "The Prospect of the Proposed Currency Union on Intra-regional Trade: Southern African Customs Union," MPRA Paper 103123, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Mulatu F. Zehirun & Marthinus C. Breitenbach & Francis Kemegue, 2014. "Monetary Integration in SADC: Assessment of Policy Coordination and Real Effective Exchange Rate Stability," Working Papers 201473, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    4. João Loureiro & Evaldo Baptista, 2021. "A single currency for the Economic Community of West Africa? An economic assessment," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 89(4), pages 608-634, December.
    5. Naftaly Mose & Jane Kaboro, 2019. "Does Inflation Rate Convergence Spur Exchange Rate Volatility? Empirical Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 7(2), pages 95-109, June.
    6. Emilio Sacerdoti, 2020. "Unioni monetarie che utilizzano il franco CFA e prospettive per un'unione monetaria in Africa dell?Est: un'analisi dei benefici dell'unione monetaria, e la questione della fissità del tasso di cambio ," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 73(289), pages 33-55.

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