Financial sector development and Investment in selected countries of the Economic Community of West African States: empirical evidence using heterogeneous panel data method

This study investigated the impact of financial sector development on domestic investment in selected countries of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS)for the years 1985–2017.The study employed the augmented mean group procedure,which accounts for country-specific heterogeneity and crosssectional dependence,and the Granger non-causality test to test for causality in the presence of cross-sectional dependence.The results show that(1)The impact of financial sector development on domestic investment depends on the measure of financial sector development utilised;(2)Domestic credit to the private sector has a positive but insignificant impact on domestic investment in ECOWAS,whereas banking intermediation efficiency(i.e.,ability of the banks to transform deposits into credit)and broad money supply negatively and significant influence domestic investment;(3)Cross-country differences exist in the impact of financial sector development on domestic investment in the selected ECOWAS countries;and(4)Domestic credit to the private sector Granger causes domestic investment in ECOWAS.The study recommends careful consideration in the measure of financial development that is utilised as a policy instrument to foster domestic investment.We also highlight the importance of employing country-specific domestic investment policies to avoid blanket policy measures.Domestic credit to the private sector should be given priority when forecasting domestic investment into the future.

An Inside View of Microcredit in Panama： The Financial Investment in MFIs

The idea of this survey on microfinance in Panama arises from the importance of this financial sector in Latin America, in particular this paper analyzes the system of microcredit and estimate, among other things, the financial needs of the institutions of microcredit as a potential target of international investment. The present paper aims to provide a cognitive framework on microcredit in Panama. It wants to demonstrate how this country can be an area in which international investors can operate considering that this form of credit can improve their yields especially in countries, such as Panama, characterized by high interest rates. Under the methodological point of view, the paper considers the financial variables of microcredit in Panama. In this way, it reaches the goal of the research to identify MFIs （micro finance institutions） as a potential target of investors.