Productivity Growth and Economic Reform : Evidence from Rwanda
Trade, financial, and exchange rate reforms are shown to have exerted a positive impact on the growth of total factor productivity in Rwanda during the period 1995-2003. Based on a constant returns-to-scale Cobb-Douglas production function, this p...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Language: | English |
Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/03/9072140/productivity-growth-economic-reform-evidence-rwanda http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6572 |
Summary: | Trade, financial, and exchange rate
reforms are shown to have exerted a positive impact on the
growth of total factor productivity in Rwanda during the
period 1995-2003. Based on a constant returns-to-scale
Cobb-Douglas production function, this paper regresses total
factor productivity on indices of trade, financial, and
exchange rate reforms. The analysis determines that trade
reforms and financial reforms each contributed positively to
improvements in total factor productivity. The data also
suggest that the allocation of official development
assistance to human capital made a significant contribution
to productivity. In contrast, the appreciation of the real
exchange rate of the late 1980's hindered productivity
or the growth of TFP. Taken together, the findings for
Rwanda presented in this paper show that the strong growth
of the past decade has not just been due to a "bounce
back" effect following the genocide. The results
support the notion that policies favorable to trade
development, a deepening of the financial sector, and
formation of human capital have been effective for
increasing aggregate productivity of the economy and
stimulating growth in Rwanda. For sustained growth, the
Rwandan authorities should continue to build on these
policies, while also taking care to maintain an appropriate
exchange rate. |
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