Download or read book Regional Integration in West Africa written by Eswar Prasad and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2021-07-13 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " Assessing the potential benefits and risks of a currency union Leaders of the fifteen-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have set a goal of achieving a monetary and currency union by late 2020. Although some progress has been made toward achieving this ambitious goal, major challenges remain if the region is to realize the necessary macroeconomic convergence and establish the required institutional framework in a relatively short period of time. The proposed union offers many potential benefits, especially for countries with historically high inflation rates and weak central banks. But, as implementation of the euro over the past two decades has shown, folding multiple currencies, representing disparate economies, into a common union comes with significant costs, along with operational challenges and transitional risks. All these potential negatives must be considered carefully by ECOWAS leaders seeking tomeet a self-imposed deadline. This book, by two leading experts on economics and Africa, makes a significant analytical contribution to the debates now under way about how ECOWAS could achieve and manage its currency union, andthe ramifications for the African continent. "

Download or read book The Monetary Geography of Africa written by Paul R. Masson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2004-11-30 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa is working toward the goal of creating a common currency that would serve as a symbol of African unity. The advantages of a common currency include lower transaction costs, increased stability, and greater insulation of central banks from pressures to provide monetary financing. Disadvantages relate to asymmetries among countries, especially in their terms of trade and in the degree of fiscal discipline. More disciplined countries will not want to form a union with countries whose excessive spending puts upward pressure on the central bank's monetary expansion. In T he Monetary Geography of Africa, Paul Masson and Catherine Pattillo review the history of monetary arrangements on the continent and analyze the current situation and prospects for further integration. They apply lessons from both experience and theory that lead to a number of conclusions. To begin with, West Africa faces a major problem because Nigeria has both asymmetric terms of trade—it is a large oil exporter while its potential partners are oil importers—and most important, large fiscal imbalances. Secondly, a monetary union among all eastern or southern African countries seems infeasible at this stage, since a number of countries suffer from the effects of civil conflicts and drought and are far from achieving the macroeconomic stability of South Africa. Lastly, the plan by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to create a common currency seems to be generally compatible with other initiatives that could contribute to greater regional solidarity. However, economic gains would likely favor Kenya, which, unlike the other two countries, has substantial exports to its neighbors, and this may constrain the political will needed to proceed. A more promising strategy for monetary integration would be to build on existing monetary unions—the CFA franc zone in western and central Africa and the Common Monetary Area in southern Africa. Masson and Pattillo argue that the goal of a creating a s

Download or read book The CFA Franc Zone written by Ms.Anne Marie Gulde and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2008-04-02 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About one-third of countries covered by the IMF's African Department are members of the CFA franc zone. With most other countries moving away from fixed exchange rates, the issue of an adequate policy framework to ensure the sustainability of the CFA franc zone is clearly of interest to policymakers and academics. However, little academic research exists in the public domain. This book aims to fill this void by bringing together work undertaken in the context of intensified regional surveillance and highlighting the current challenges and the main policy requirements if the arrangements are to be carried forward. The book is based on empirical research by a broad group of IMF economists, with contributions from several outside experts.

Download or read book The CFA Franc Zone written by Ali Zafar and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an empirical analysis of economic and political structures impacting the CFA franc zone. Concise and practical chapters explore the history of the CFA franc zone, challenges to development, geopolitical issues, the importance of flexible exchanges rates, growth trends, and the impact of the Covid crisis. Policy reform is examined to detail economic approaches that could reduce poverty and increase the quality of life within the area. This book aims to present a macroeconomic and exchange rate framework to promote development and post-Covid recovery within the CFA franc zone. It will be of interest to students, researchers, and policymakers involved in African economics, the political economy, and development economics.

Download or read book West African Economic and Monetary Union written by Patrick A. Imam and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The financial system in the WAEMU remains largely bank-based. The banking sector comprises 106 banks and 13 financial institutions, which together hold more than 90 percent of the financial system’s assets (about 54 percent of GDP at end-2011). Five banks account for 50 percent of banking assets. The ownership structure of the sector is changing fast, with the rapid rise of foreign-owned (pan-African) banks. This contributes to higher competition but also rising heterogeneity in the banking system, with large and profitable cross-country groups competing with often weaker country-based (and sometime government-owned) banks. Nonbank financial institutions are developing quickly, notably insurance companies, but remain overall small. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the banking system.

Download or read book Africa s Last Colonial Currency written by Fanny Pigeaud and published by Pluto Press (UK). This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the CFA Franc enabled France to continue its colonies in Africa.

Download or read book Money Demand and Regional Monetary Policy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union written by Mr.Philipp C. Rother and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1998-04-01 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Regional monetary integration, financial liberalization, and the adoption of indirect policy instruments have changed the conditions for monetary policy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The stability of money demand has become a crucial element for monetary policy. This paper presents empirical money demand estimations for regional monetary aggregates and analyzes their stability and forecast performance. The estimations result in a stable relationship for narrow money (M1). Consequently, the region’;s central bank, the BCEAO, can continue to conduct monetary policy in line with the fixed exchange rate system if it succeeds in maintaining financial stability.

Download or read book Exchange Rate Economics written by Ronald MacDonald and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ''In summary, the book is valuable as a textbook both at the advanced undergraduate level and at the graduate level. It is also very useful for the economist who wants to be brought up-to-date on theoretical and empirical research on exchange rate behaviour.'' ""Journal of International Economics""

Download or read book A Common Currency and Exchange Rate System for the West African Monetary Zone written by Edward E. Ghartey and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book An Evaluation of the Viability of a Single Monetary Zone in ECOWAS written by E. Olawale Ogunkola and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions 2013 written by International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-12-15 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the 64th issue of the AREAER. It provides a description of the foreign exchange arrangements, exchange and trade systems, and capital controls of all IMF member countries. It also provides information on the operation of foreign exchange markets and controls on international trade. It describes controls on capital transactions and measures implemented in the financial sector, including prudential measures. In addition, it reports on exchange measures imposed by member countries for security reasons. A single table provides a snapshot of the exchange and trade systems of all IMF member countries. The Overview describes in detail how the general trend toward foreign exchange liberalization continued during 2012, alongside a strengthening of the financial sector regulatory framework. The AREAER is available in several formats. The Overview in print and online, and the detailed information for each of the 191 member countries and territories is included on a CD that accompanies the printed Overview and in an online database, AREAER Online. In addition to the information on the exchange and trade system of IMF member countries in 2012, AREAER Online contains historical data published in previous issues of the AREAER. It is searchable by year, country, and category of measure and allows cross country comparisons for time series.

Download or read book The Sterling Area written by British Information Services and published by . This book was released on 1945 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Fair Trade Scandal written by Ndongo Sylla and published by Ohio University Press. This book was released on 2014-02-01 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This critical account of the fair trade movement explores the vast gap between the rhetoric of fair trade and its practical results for poor countries, particularly those of Africa. In the Global North, fair trade often is described as a revolutionary tool for transforming the lives of millions across the globe. The growth in sales for fair trade products has been dramatic in recent years, but most of the benefit has accrued to the already wealthy merchandisers at the top of the value chain rather than to the poor producers at the bottom. Ndongo Sylla has worked for Fairtrade International and offers an insider’s view of how fair trade improves—or doesn’t—the lot of the world’s poorest. His methodological framework first describes the hypotheses on which the fair trade movement is grounded before going on to examine critically the claims made by its proponents. By distinguishing local impact from global impact, Sylla exposes the inequity built into the system and the resulting misallocation of the fair trade premium paid by consumers. The Fair Trade Scandal is an empirically based critique of both fair trade and traditional free trade; it is the more important for exploring the problems of both from the perspective of the peoples of the Global South, the ostensible beneficiaries of the fair trade system.

Download or read book One Market One Money written by Michael Emerson and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European Community is negotiating a new treaty to establish the constitutional foundations of an economic and monetary union in the course of the 1990s. This study provides the only comprehensive guide to the economic implications of economic and monetary union. The work of an economist inside the Commission of the European Community, it reflects the considerations influencing the design of the union. The study creates a unique bridge between the insights of modern economic analysis and the work of the policy makers preparing for economic and monetary union.

Download or read book Reforming Africa s Institutions written by Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is not a single African country that did not attempt public sector reforms in the 1990s. Governments no longer see themselves as sole suppliers of social services, frequently opting for partnerships with the private sector. Efficiency and choice have entered the language of the planning and implementation units of Africa's line ministries, while privatization is no longer the controversial subject it was a decade ago. There have also been moves towards more open and democratic governments. Reforming Africa's Institutions looks at the extent to which reforms undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa in recent years have enhanced institutional capacities across the breadth of government. To what extent have reforms been internalized and defended by governments? The authors also look specifically at the impact of public sector reforms on these economies and pose the question whether 'ownership can be attained when countries continue to be heavily dependent on external support. The volume is presented in three parts. The first focuses on the issue of reform ownership; on the issues of governance, the political economy of reform ownership, and the contradictions inherent in using aid as an instrument for enhancing domestic reform ownership. Part two examines the nature of incentives in the African civil service and the reforms undertaken in recent years to raise public sector efficiency in Africa. The third part discusses issues related to institutional capabilities in Africa and how they have been affected by the reforms undertaken in the 1990s, including privatization and movement towards political pluralism.

Download or read book The Single Global Currency Common Cents for the World written by Morrison Bonpasse and published by . This book was released on 2006-04 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2014 Edition of THE SINGLE GLOBAL CURRENCY - COMMON CENTS FOR THE WORLD is the fifth book of this name, and it updates the text of the original 2006 edition. The 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions included the original edition together with an annual update appendix. Future editions are planned in five year increments for 2019 and 2024, the latter date being the 80th anniversary of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference. The book is for all readers around the world, as every human being in our increasingly globalized world has an interest in achieving the goal of a Single Global Currency. What the people of the world want and deserve is stable money, so that the money they earn, save and invest today will be worth almost the same tomorrow. The Single Global Currency will provide that stability. It is the common cents/sense currency for our increasingly globalized world. The current multicurrency global monetary system is volatile and extremely risky as $5.3 trillion worth of currencies are traded every trading day on the global foreign exchange markets. Currencies crises are a continuing threat. Avoiding the effects and risks of currency fluctuations and rapid flows of cross-currency capital were the primary goals of the International Monetary Fund at its 1945 creation, and the Single Global Currency will solve both problems. The Single Global Currency will be managed by a Global Central Bank within a Global Monetary Union. Since 1999, the primary model for this "3-G" system has been the euro which is managed by the European Central Bank within the European Monetary Union. Beginning with 12 member countries, the eurozone now has 18 members and continues to grow toward its full potential of all the members of the growing European Union, which now number 28. Creation of a Single Global Currency is not a new idea or goal, but is now feasible thanks to automation and the increasing interdependence of the world's peoples. The potential benefits of a Single Global Currency are staggering: - Worldwide asset values will increase by about $10 trillion. - Worldwide GDP will increase by $trillions. - Global trade will increase by $trillions. - Annual FX trading transaction costs of $300 billion will be avoided. - Global currency/payments imbalances will be eliminated. - Currency crises will be eliminated. - Currency speculation will be eliminated. - The need for unproductive foreign exchange reserves will be eliminated. Currently, the 193 members of the United Nations use 140 currencies for their international and domestic transactions. The 50+ members without their own national currencies are using the currencies of monetary unions of which they are members, or they are using ("izing") the currencies of other countries or monetary unions. As existing monetary unions in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa are expanded, and as new monetary unions are created in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Mid-East, the number of currencies will continue to decline. At some "tipping point," perhaps after a merger of large currencies, the largest monetary union currency will likely be designated as the world's Single Global Currency. This process can be accelerated when individuals, nations and global institutions openly declare their support for a Single Global Currency and they initiate the necessary steps toward that goal. Such steps will include a global internet-based naming process for the new currency and a timeline for implementation. There is little question that the world is moving toward a Single Global Currency. The remaining question is When? The global challenge will be to achieve the Single Global Currency with a smooth transition from the existing multicurrency system. It is hoped that this book, and the work of the Single Global Currency Association (www.singleglobalcurrency.org) will help move the world in that direction.

Download or read book Monetary Policy and the Stock Market in the Euro Area written by Claudio Morana and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this paper we study the role of the stock market in the transmission mechanism in the euro area and evaluate whether price stability and financial stability are mutually consistent and complementary objectives. Four major conclusions can be drawn from our work. First, stock prices and, more generally, relative asset prices seem to play an important role in the transmission mechanism in the euro area. Second, we do not find any significant, direct impact of stock prices on inflation. These two findings taken together support the view that stock market prices may be important for monetary policy, independently of their direct impact on inflation. Third, permanent productivity shocks are the driving force of the stock market in the long-term and contribute significantly to its cyclical behaviour. Nevertheless, the bulk of cyclical dynamics in the stock market is explained by transitory shocks. Fourth, a monetary policy focused on maintaining price stability in the long-term can contribute also to stock market stability.