Publication:
Resource-Backed Loans in Sub-Saharan Africa

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (8.72 MB)
226 downloads
English Text (140.2 KB)
11 downloads
Date
2021
ISSN
Published
2021
Author(s)
Mihalyi, David
Hwang, Jyhjong
Rivetti, Diego
Editor(s)
Abstract
This paper investigates the characteristics of resource-backed lending across sub-Saharan Africa. To shed light on this type of lending, the paper presents new information on thirty resource-backed loans identified through publicly available information between 2004-2018. These loans are concentrated in a few countries, where they represent a sizable fraction of all borrowing, they are typically taken by central governments and state-owned enterprises. While loan terms are mostly opaque, where data is available, we find that such loans are not cheaper than regular loans. The authors highlight opportunities to improve transparency and offer some suggestions for improving the governance of collateralized borrowings across developing countries.
Link to Data Set
Citation
Mihalyi, David; Hwang, Jyhjong; Rivetti, Diego; Cust, James. 2021. Resource-Backed Loans in Sub-Saharan Africa. Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions Notes - Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40145 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Resource-Backed Loans in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-02) Mihalyi, David; Hwang, Jyhjong; Rivetti, Diego; Cust, James
    This paper investigates the characteristics of resource-backed lending across Sub-Saharan Africa. To shed light on this type of lending, the paper presents new information on 30 resource-backed loans between 2004 and 2018, identified through publicly available information. These loans were concentrated in a few countries, where they represented a sizable fraction of all borrowing and were typically taken by central governments and state-owned enterprises. Although the loan terms are mostly opaque, where data are available, the study finds that such loans are not cheaper than regular loans. The paper highlights opportunities to transparency and offers some suggestions for improving the governance of collateralized borrowings across developing countries.
  • Publication
    Nonperforming Loans in Sub-Saharan Africa : Causal Analysis and Macroeconomic Implications
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-11) Fofack, Hippolyte L.
    This paper investigates the leading causes of nonperforming loans during the economic and banking crises that affected a large number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s. Empirical analysis shows a dramatic increase in these loans and extremely high credit risk, with significant differences between the CFA and non-CFA countries, and substantially higher financial costs for the latter sub-panel of countries. The results also highlight a strong causality between these loans and economic growth, real exchange rate appreciation, the real interest rate, net interest margins, and interbank loans consistent with the causality and econometric analysis, which reveal the significance of macroeconomic and microeconomic factors. The dramatic increase in these loans is largely driven by macroeconomic volatility and reflects the vulnerability of undiversified African economies, which remain heavily exposed to external shocks. Simulated results show that macroeconomic stability and economic growth are associated with a declining level of nonperforming loans; whereas adverse macroeconomic shocks coupled with higher cost of capital and lower interest margins are associated with a rising scope of nonperforming loans. These results are supported by long-term estimates of nonperforming loans derived from pseudo panel-based prediction models.
  • Publication
    Determinants of a Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa : A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Cell Phone Coverage
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2008-02) Buys, Piet; Dasgupta, Susmita; Thomas, Tim; Wheeler, David
    Most discussions of the digital divide treat it as a "North-South" issue, but the conventional dichotomy doesn't apply to cell phones in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although almost all Sub-Saharan countries are poor by international standards, they exhibit great disparities in coverage by cell telephone systems. Buys, Dasgupta, Thomas and Wheeler investigate the determinants of these disparities with a spatially-disaggregated model that employs locational information for cell-phone towers across over 990,000 4.6-km grid squares in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using probit techniques, a probability model with adjustments for spatial autocorrelation has been estimated that relates the likelihood of cell-tower location within a grid square to potential market size (proximate population); installation and maintenance cost factors related to accessibility (elevation, slope, distance from a main road, distance from the nearest large city); and national competition policy. Probit estimates indicate strong, significant results for the supply-demand variables, and very strong results for the competition policy index. Simulations based on the econometric results suggest that a generalized improvement in competition policy to a level that currently characterizes the best-performing states in Sub-Saharan Africa could lead to huge improvements in cell-phone area coverage for many states currently with poor policy performance, and an overall coverage increase of nearly 100 percent.
  • Publication
    Bank Privatization in Sub-Saharan Africa : The Case of Uganda Commercial Bank
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-11) Clarke, George R.G.; Cull, Robert; Fuchs, Michael
    Previous empirical analyses have found that bank privatizations are more successful when the government fully relinquishes control, when the bank is privatized to a strategic investor, and when foreign-owned banks are allowed to participate in the bidding. The privatization of Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) to the South African bank Stanbic met all these criteria, suggesting that it is a likely candidate for success. But other features suggest reasons for caution: UCB dominated the Ugandan banking sector prior to privatization and the institutional environment in Uganda was less favorable than in many of the middle-income countries looked at in earlier empirical studies. Despite these concerns, the privatization appears to have been relatively successful. The portfolio of the privatized bank, which was cleaned prior to sale, remains relatively strong and profitability and credit growth are now on par with other Ugandan banks. Though market segmentation remains a concern since Stanbic faces little or no direct competition in many remote areas, some early results suggest that access to credit has improved for some hard-to-serve groups.
  • Publication
    Road Network Upgrading and Overland Trade Expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2006-12) Buys, Piet; Deichmann, Uwe; Wheeler, David
    Recent research suggests that isolation from regional and international markets has contributed significantly to poverty in many Sub-Saharan African countries. Numerous empirical studies identify poor transport infrastructure and border restrictions as significant deterrents to trade expansion. In response, the African Development Bank has proposed an integrated network of functional roads for the subcontinent. Drawing on new econometric results, the authors quantify the trade-expansion potential and costs of such a network. They use spatial network analysis techniques to identify a network of primary roads connecting all Sub-Saharan capitals and other cities with populations over 500,000. The authors estimate current overland trade flows in the network using econometrically-estimated gravity model parameters, road transport quality indicators, actual road distances, and estimates of economic scale for cities in the network. Then they simulate the effect of feasible continental upgrading by setting network transport quality at a level that is functional, but less highly developed than existing roads in countries like South Africa and Botswana. The authors assess the costs of upgrading with econometric evidence from a large World Bank database of road project costs in Africa. Using a standard approach to forecast error estimation, they derive a range of potential benefits and costs. Their baseline results indicate that continental network upgrading would expand overland trade by about $250 billion over 15 years, with major direct and indirect benefits for the rural poor. Financing the program would require about $20 billion for initial upgrading and $1 billion annually for maintenance. The authors conclude with a discussion of supporting institutional arrangements and the potential cost of implementing them.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Malawi Gender Assessment
    (Washington, DC, 2022-03) World Bank
    The government of Malawi has committed to addressing gender inequality and improving women’s wellbeing. The government has implemented multiple strategic development plans to guide policy creation and implementation. The current ongoing strategic plan is the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MDGS) III, which is aimed at alleviating poverty and fostering sustainable economic growth. In January 2021 the government of Malawi introduced the Malawi 2063 Vision, a strategic development plan which aims for low-middle income status by 2030.i To meet the goals set out in Malawi 2063, human capital development, private sector development, economic infrastructure, and environmental stability have been highlighted as critical drivers to be addressed. While the MDGS III and the Malawi 2063 Vision both include a focus on gender equality, this is largely done through a human capital and voice and agency lens, with considerably less focus on how closing gender gaps in the productive economic sectors can boost economic growth and poverty reduction. In the MDGS, gender is placed under ‘other development areas’ and grouped together with issues relating to youth, disability, and social welfare, with outcomes to be monitored including those focused on access to basic services, women’s roles in various levels of decision-making, and gender-responsive budgeting. In the Malawi 2063 Vision, gender is principally discussed under the human capital ‘enabler’ section.
  • Publication
    FY 2023 Kenya Country Opinion Survey Report
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2024-01-17) World Bank Group
    The Country Opinion Survey in Kenya assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in better understanding how stakeholders in Kenya perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the private sector, and civil society in Kenya on 1) their views regarding the general environment in Kenya; 2) their overall attitudes toward the WBG in Kenya; 3) overall impressions of the WBG’s effectiveness and results, knowledge work and activities, and communication and information sharing in Kenya; and 4) their perceptions of the WBG’s future role in Kenya.
  • Publication
    Land Matters
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023) Corsi, Anna; Selod, Harris
    Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, land is a scarce and valuable resource. The projected increase in land demand due to demographic trends, coupled with decreasing land supply due to climatic and governance factors, indicate a looming crisis happening at a time when the region is also facing dramatic social and political transformation. Reserves for land cultivation are almost exhausted, while total built-up area will need to expand to accommodate high demographic growth. Yet, land remains inefficiently, inequitably, and unsustainably used. There are strong barriers to land access for both firms and individuals. Firms resort to political connections to access land, resulting in land misallocation. Women are 2 to 3 times more likely to fear losing their property in the case of spousal death or divorce, and their rights are not sufficiently supported by institutions and gender-imbalanced social norms. Refugees also face difficulties in accessing land; conflict in the region is causing the displacement of millions of people who lack necessary housing, land, and property rights. This report identifies and analyzes the economic, environmental, and social challenges associated with land in MENA countries, shedding light on policy options to address them. It focuses on two main constraints—scarcity of land and weak land governance—and how they affect land use and access, the resulting inefficiencies and inequities, and associated economic and social costs. It highlights the need for MENA countries to think about land more holistically and to reassess the strategic trade-offs involving land, while minimizing land distortions and serving economic development. It is also an attempt to fill major data gaps and promote a culture of open data, transparency, and inclusive dialogue on land. These efforts are important steps that will contribute to renewing the social contract, accompany economic and digital transformation, and facilitate recovery and reconstruction in the region.
  • Publication
    A Deeper Dive into the Relationship between Economic Development and Migration
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2023-02) Shrestha, Maheshwor
    This descriptive paper provides a nuanced perspective on the relationship between development and migration, extending the non-parametric analysis in Clemens (2020). A few stylized patterns of migration emerge as countries develop. First, the migration response to development differs by the types of origin and destination countries. As low-income countries develop, their migration to high-income destinations increases slowly but steadily, whereas migration to other low-income or neighboring countries decreases at early levels of development. As middle-income countries develop, their migration to high-income countries increases steadily and plateaus once they reach sufficiently high levels of income. Second, the composition of migrants changes as countries develop. In particular, migrants to high-income destination countries become more educated. Third, the emigration response from middle-income countries is muted for countries with larger populations, particularly toward high-income destinations. These patterns suggest a strong role multiple transformations—such as increasing incomes, increased global integration, a demographic transition, increased human capital, and domestic structural change—play in changing migration patterns as countries develop. The paper explores these migration patterns in light of these transformations.
  • Publication
    Land Tenure and Gender : Approaches and Challenges for Strengthening Rural Women's Land Rights
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014) Namubiru-Mwaura, Evelyn
    Land tenure security is crucial for women's empowerment and a prerequisite for building secure and resilient communities. Tenure is affected by many and often contradictory sets of rules, laws, customs, traditions, and perceptions. For most rural women, land tenure is complicated, with access and ownership often layered with barriers present in their daily realities: discriminatory social dynamics and strata, unresponsive legal systems, lack of economic opportunities, and lack of voice in decision making. Yet most policy reform, land management, and development programs disregard these realities in their interventions, which ultimately increases land tenure insecurity for rural women. This paper seeks to further develop the evidence base for access to and control over land.