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Aid, Real Exchange Rate Misalignment and Economic Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Ibrahim A. Elbadawi
  • Linda Kaltani
  • Raimundo Soto

    (Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.)

Abstract

Generating sustained growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most pressing challenges in global development. As the region needs foreign assistance to jump start its development, foreign aid becomes crucial. However, aid booms can also lead to exchange rate overvaluation curtailing exports and growth. This paper provides new evidence on the impact of aid and overvaluation on growth and exports using a sample of 83 countries from 1970 to 2004. We find that aid fosters growth (with decreasing returns) but induces overvaluation. Overvaluation reduces growth but the effect is ameliorated by financial development. Finally, we find new evidence on the negative impact of overvaluation on export diversification and sophistication.

Suggested Citation

  • Ibrahim A. Elbadawi & Linda Kaltani & Raimundo Soto, 2009. "Aid, Real Exchange Rate Misalignment and Economic Performance in Sub-Saharan Africa," Documentos de Trabajo 368, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    • Handle: RePEc:ioe:doctra:368
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    File URL: https://www.economia.uc.cl/docs/doctra/dt-368.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Bank, 2000. "Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 22962, December.
    2. Arne Bigsten & Paul Collier & Stefan Dercon & Marcel Fafchamps & Bernard Gauthier & Jan Willem Gunning & Abena Oduro & Remco Oostendorp & Catherine Pattillo & Måns Soderbom & Francis Teal & Albert Zeu, 2004. "Do African Manufacturing Firms Learn from Exporting?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 115-141.
    3. Francisco Maeso–Fernandez & Chiara Osbat & Bernd Schnatz, 2002. "Determinants of the Euro Real Effective Exchange Rate: A BEER/PEER Approach," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(4), pages 437-461, December.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Carl Grekou, 2015. "Currency misalignments and economic growth: the foreign currency-denominated debt channel," Working Papers hal-04141399, HAL.
    2. Sosthène Ulrich GNANSOUNOU & Audrey Chouchane, 2013. "Working Paper 166 - Misalignment of Real Effective Exchange Rates: When Should the Franc CFA be Devalued Again?," Working Paper Series 445, African Development Bank.
    3. Daniel Goya, 2014. "The Multiple Impacts of the Exchange Rate on Export Diversification," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1436, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    4. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Report 2013 [Rapport sur le développement dans le monde 2013]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 11843, December.
    5. Ilham Haouas & Raimundo Soto, 2012. "Has the UAE Escaped the Oil Curse?," Documentos de Trabajo 412, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    6. Cécile Couharde & Issiaka Coulibaly & Olivier Damette, 2011. "Misalignments and Dynamics of Real Exchange Rates in the CFA Franc Zone," EconomiX Working Papers 2011-28, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    7. Mohamed Karim & Ahmed Touzani, 2020. "The equilibrium exchange rate and measurement of misalignments in Morocco: Empirical Analysis," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 10(3), pages 1-3.
    8. Omgba, Luc Désiré, 2014. "Institutional foundations of export diversification patterns in oil-producing countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 1052-1064.
    9. Issiaka Coulibaly & Blaise Gnimassoun, 2012. "Optimality of a monetary union : New evidence from exchange rate misalignments in West Africa," Working Papers hal-04141049, HAL.
    10. Carl Grekou, 2015. "Currency misalignments and economic growth: the foreign currency-denominated debt channel," EconomiX Working Papers 2015-23, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    11. Coulibaly, Issiaka & Gnimassoun, Blaise, 2013. "Optimality of a monetary union: New evidence from exchange rate misalignments in West Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 463-482.
    12. Grekou, Carl, 2015. "Revisiting the nexus between currency misalignments and growth in the CFA Zone," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 142-154.
    13. Carl Grekou, 2014. "Revisiting the nexus between currency misalignments and growth in the CFA Zone," Working Papers hal-04141364, HAL.
    14. Tipoy Christian K. & Breitenbach Marthinus C. & Zerihun Mulatu F., 2018. "Exchange rate misalignment and economic growth: evidence from nonlinear panel cointegration and granger causality tests," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(2), pages 1-16, April.

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    Keywords

    Africa; Sub Sahara; real exchange rate; misalignment; exports; growth;
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