Research Articles

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/22010

A research article reports the results of original research, assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, and is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The faculty publications through published and on-going articles/researches are captured in this community

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Corruption, institutions and capital flight: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Journal of Economic Studies, 2018-01) Osei-Assibey, E.; Domfeh, K.O.; Danquah, M.
    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of corruption and institutional governance indicators on capital flight in Sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach Using a Portfolio Choice Framework, the study employs two different estimation techniques as Generalized Method of Moment and Fixed Effect Regression on panel data sets of 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa over the period 2000-2012. Findings The variable of interest, corruption, retains its expected positive sign and statistically significant across all the estimations. The relationship remains very strong even when other equally important institutional variables such as regime durability, rule of law and independence of the executive are taken into account. This suggests that a higher perception of corruption among public authorities as in bribery, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, among others facilitates an increase in capital outflow from SSA. The findings further indicate that regime durability and rule of law are important institutional variables that also significantly influence capital flights in SSA. Practical implications The findings imply that institutional reforms should be encouraged if SSA is to win the war against corruption and by extension against capital flight. There should be a creation of democratic environment and good governance practices that foster stronger governance institutions, decline in corruption and better domestic investment climate to help reverse the high spate of capital flight in the region. Originality/value The main value of this paper is using the portfolio choice framework to analyze the relationship between capital flight and corruption in the Sub-Saharan African context.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Extent and Determinants of Tax Gap in the Informal Sector: Evidence from Ghana
    (Journal of International Development, 2018-08) Danquah, M.; Osei-Assibey, E.
    In this paper, we attempt to estimate the tax gap in the informal sector as well as the contributing factors of the tax losses in SSA countries using Ghana as a case study. Using micro data on non‐farm household enterprises obtained from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey as well as data on quarterly tax payable by specified small scale enterprises derived from the Small Tax Payer office of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the findings show that the national potential and actual taxes in the informal sector are US$ 81 974 846 and US$ 25 023 273, respectively, reflecting an estimated national tax gap or loss of approximately US$ 56 951 573. Firm level variables such as type of business, urban location and experience of the firm significantly increase the propensity to pay tax and reduce the tax gap. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  • Item
    Paying for education among households in Ghana: Is there any role for household resources and contextual effects?
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2017-04) Danquah, M.; Iddrisu, A.M.; Quartey, P.
    Purpose Using data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, this paper aims to take a critical look at issues relating to the demand for education in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach In doing this, the paper develops a model for the determinants of household’s educational expenditure using the full sample of data and an income-quintile disaggregated model of the determinants of household’s educational expenditures. The study adopts robust empirical estimation techniques to estimate the model. Findings The paper finds that household resources importantly influence children’s educational expenditures with wealthier households spending proportionately more in educating their children than poorer households; large-sized households spend more in terms of educational expenses than small-sized households reflecting largely the quantity of education purchased, given that quality and contextual factors matters for educational investments. Strikingly, the findings show that female headship is a significant positive predictor of households’ demand for education. These findings provide valuable policy options relating to the goal of ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promoting a lifelong learning by 2030. Originality/value While literature on the determinants of households’ educational expenditures abound, very few of this literature focuses on sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, this study makes an important contribution to the literature by providing evidence on the determinants of households’ educational expenditure in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Analysis of School Enrollment in Ghana: A Sequential Approach
    (2017) Iddrisu, A.M.; Danquah, M.; Quartey, P.
    n this paper, we depart from the standard way of analyzing school enrollment by accounting explicitlyfor educational selectivity in order to examine the determinants of child school enrollment in Ghana.Using data from the Ghana Living Standard Survey round 6 (GLSS 6), we estimate a three-stepsequential logit model for the determinants of secondary school enrollment and its dependence oncompleting primary school. We find that family resources such as parental education, household incomeand the gender of the head of the household play a role in households’ child schooling decisions.Educated parents are relatively more likely to enroll their children in primary school and keep them inschool until they complete primary education. As well, we show that educated parents do not promote agender-biased investment in the schooling of children at the primary level. While household welfare doesnot influence children’s entry into primary school importantly, their completion of primary schooldepends on household welfare. The study sheds more light on the pro-male bias phenomenon regardingentry into primary school and primary school completion. Policies to promote the achievement ofSustainable Development Goal 4 in Ghana must be grade sensitive.
  • Item
    What drives national efficiency in sub-Saharan Africa
    (Economic Modelling, 2015-01) Danquah, M.; Ouattara, B.
    In this paper, we use stochastic frontier analysis to examine whether differences in the transfer and absorption of technology help to explain cross-country differences in national efficiency levels in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1970-2010. We find that trade policy on openness, machinery imports, stock of R&D, landlockedness and quality of institutions play a significant and quantitatively important role in explaining the differences in efficiency scores in SSA. Human capital, however, has an insignificant effect on efficiency. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.
  • Item
    Technology transfer, adoption of technology and the efficiency of nations: Empirical evidence from sub Saharan Africa
    (Elsevier Inc., 2018) Danquah, M.
    In this paper, stochastic frontier analysis is employed to examine the role of technology transfer and absorption of technology, as well as the interaction between technology transfer and absorption in explaining cross country differences in efficiency of nations in sub Saharan Africa over the period 1970–2010. The findings of the study indicate that trade openness, machinery imports, human capital and relative research and development have no empirically apparent effect on efficiency of nations in sub Saharan Africa. However, the interaction term for trade openness and human capital, and that of machinery imports and relative research and development play a significant and quantitatively important role in explaining national efficiency in sub Saharan Africa. The findings imply that policy initiatives to boost national efficiency in sub Saharan Africa must focus on the development of domestic capacity to absorb technology. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.