In the literature, existing meta-regressions on efficiency have focused on specific sectors in a country or multiple country and on specific economic activity. None of the available efficiency meta-regressions covers multiple sectors of an economy. We contribute to the literature by investigating the technical efficiency differentiation within a multi-sectoral environment. Using data from 152 publications yielding 223 observations from diverse sources and applying meta-regression analysis, we investigated the heterogeneity in mean technical efficiency (MTE), assessed the temporal and spatial drivers of estimated technical efficiency for Ghana. We found heterogeneity in the estimated MTE. The selected cauchit functional form of the fractional regression model showed sectoral and spatial variables drive heterogeneity in MTE. There was a seeming technical efficiency regression with average MTE of 0.676 that requires greater effort in the management of production than has been the case previously in order to close the output gap.

No abstract

No abstract

The government of Ghana proposed an electronic levy (E-LEVY) in the 2022 budget and economic policy statement to increase revenue in the wake of dwindling opportunities for borrowing from the external market. Whilst existing studies found that most Ghanaians did not support the E-LEVY, the factors that explain the decision were not studied. We contribute to the literature on the E-LEVY by examining the drivers of approval of the E-LEVY in Ghana. We used data of 600 respondents and fitted it to a cloglog model selected based on a battery of tests. We found that older persons were more likely to approve of the E-LEVY than younger people. Persons affiliated with the ruling party, the NPP, were more likely to approve of the E-LEVY than persons not affiliated with the party. Level of education, gender, size of household, monthly income and marital status did not distinguish the tendency to approve of the E-LEVY. Although the ruling party-affiliated respondents were more likely to approve of the E-LEVY, the low probability requires that the government engages not only its party supporters but independents, about the need to support and pay the E-LEVY.

A large body of literature exists on analysis of citation and reviews of application of efficiency frontier. However, the reviews that assessed the determinants of citation counts did not focus on frontier applications. We contribute to the literature by identifying the drivers of citations of frontier application publications on Ghana. We employed two-part mixture modelling with inverse hyperbolic sine (IHS) transformation of the second part, which was found to be more appropriate than single equation IHS transformation modelling, for our data. Use of stochastic frontier analysis or data envelopment analysis did not drive citations counts. However, quality of journals in which frontier application studies were published and accessibility of the journals to readers, drive citation counts. Authors, institutions and funders of studies on frontier applications may consider these over collaborations, in seeking growth in citation counts.

Agriculture continues to make significant contributions to developing countries in the presence of globalisation. Thus, international trade and foreign capital flows are important to developing countries. The authors used data on 115 developing countries from 1995 to 2020 to investigate the effect of inward and outward foreign direct investment (FDI) on trade in the agricultural sector of developing countries. Inward FDI enhanced exports, imports, and trade openness. However, outward FDI did not affect exports, imports, and trade openness. To escalate international trade in agricultural products, developing countries must continue to promote the inflow of FDI into agriculture (AIFDI). This requires paying attention to appropriate management of the macroeconomy, keeping down the inflation rate, optimising the currency exchange rate, and keeping interest rates down to boost investment among others. Whilst these would enhance AIFDI that would promote trade, these would directly promote trade. As developing countries have often suffered foreign exchange pressures, they must enhance foreign exchange receipts through increased exports. Increasing human capital can increase exports. Unlike existing studies, the authors used more current data covering many developing countries and accounted for endogeneity.

No abstract