The Determinants of Economic Growth in CEMAC through a Panel Data Approach

Abstract

This article highlights through a panel data approach the determinants of economic growth; observed over the last decade in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and necessary to reach emerging economies stage. To do this, we essentially used Stata 12 software to come up with the results, and a panel data sample comprising six CEMAC member states, namely Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and Chad, for the period ranging from 2000 to 2013. The results obtained after estimating ordinary least squares, fixed effects model, random effects model, generalized method of moments (GMM) and specification tests show that the best model to estimate these types of data is the fixed effects model. Besides, the main determinants of economic growth in CEMAC over that period are Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and loans lending to the economy (LOAN). After estimation, FDI is found positive and significant on economic growth, while LOAN is significant and found negative maybe due to lack of good governance.