Departmental Papers

Public Investment Efficiency in Sub-Saharan African Countries

By Karim Barhoumi, Ha Vu, Shirin Nikaein Towfighian, Rodolfo Maino

July 6, 2018

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Karim Barhoumi, Ha Vu, Shirin Nikaein Towfighian, and Rodolfo Maino. Public Investment Efficiency in Sub-Saharan African Countries, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2018) accessed September 18, 2024

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

There is significant room to improve public investment efficiency in sub-Saharan Africa. Investment in sub-Saharan African countries is lagging vis-à-vis peers such as emerging and developing Asia as well as Latin America and the Caribbean, and the region’s infrastructure is perceived as being of relatively low quality. Improving the efficiency of sizable investment programs in the region could contribute to more solid economic growth and help achieve desired social priorities and development goals. Results point to some variability in public investment efficiency within the region. Comparing efficiency scores across country groups suggests that investment efficiency in sub-Saharan African oil exporters tends to be lower than in sub-Saharan African non-resource-intensive countries. Additionally, countries in East African Community (EAC) perform better than those in Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Stronger institutions could foster more efficient public investment. The regression results in this paper show a positive correlation between public investment efficiency and the quality of institutions, suggesting that devel-oping stronger institutions in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to a significant improvement in investment efficiency. This is particularly relevant for coun-tries with weak institutional quality, where governments may use capital spending as a vehicle for rent-seeking, leading to inefficient spending. Given the current drive for scaling up investment in sub-Saharan Africa, the task of improving institutions quickly should become a priority.

Subject: Capital spending, Expenditure, Infrastructure, National accounts, Public financial management (PFM), Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP), Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA), Public investment spending

Keywords: Asia and Pacific, CAC1D4, Capital spending, Caribbean, DP, DPPP, Efficiency score, Infrastructure, Infrastructure investment in sub-Saharan Africa, Investment, Investment efficiency, Management practice, Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP), Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA), Public investment spending, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa score, West Africa

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    51

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Departmental Paper No. 2018/008

  • Stock No:

    PIESACEA

  • ISBN:

    9781484360019

  • ISSN:

    2616-5333