Private Consumption in The WAEMU Zone: Does Interest Rates Matter?

Combey, Adama (2016): Private Consumption in The WAEMU Zone: Does Interest Rates Matter?

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of interest rates on private consumption in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). After checking for unit root and co-integration, Error Correction Model is specified, three estimators are performed: Mean Group, Pooled Mean Group and Dynamic Fixed-Effects. Hausman tests indicate that the Dynamic Fixed-Effects estimator is more efficient and consistent than others. Results suggest that, there is no statistical evidence, both in short-run and long-run, impact of real and nominal saving interest rates on private consumption in the WAEMU region, from 2006 to 2014. These finds imply that, neither substitution effect, nor income effect, operate in this zone. However, the paper finds that, the growth of private consumption is strongly depends positively, in the long-run, on the gross national disposable income and the credit to private sector ratio. The long-run income elasticity and semi-elasticity of liquidity constraints are statistically significant and average to 0.92 and 0.0085, respectively. These finds imply that, there is a need for more proper financial market development and financial education policies implementation to have negative and significant impact of interest rates on private consumption in the WAEMU zone.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Private Consumption, Interest Rates, WAEMU, Pooled Mean Group, Mean Group, Dynamic Fixed-Effects Estimator
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C3 - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models ; Multiple Variables > C33 - Panel Data Models ; Spatio-temporal Models; E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy > E21 - Consumption ; Saving ; Wealth; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration

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