and capital market growth has in turn contributed towards long-term economic development (Adjasi and Biekpe 2008; Beck and Levine 2004; Levine and Zervos 1996, 1998; Rousseau and Wachtel 2000). The argument here is not that market-oriented financial systems are likely to generate more positive growth effects. Indeed, financial market structures-bank-based or market-oriented-do not account for differences in economic performance: the robust growth of both banks and capital markets is conducive to financial development(Beck and Levine 2002; Demirguc-Kunt and Maksimovic 2002; Levine 2002). Countries with higher levels of financial development have experienced more rapid growth (Arestis et al 2001; Beck and Levine 2001; Blackburn et 2005; Carlin and Ma 2003, Fisman and Love 2004) and lower poverty (Beck et al. 2007; Honohan 2004; Jalilian and Kirkpatrick 2005). Given that most developing countries have traditionally had bank-based systems and poorly developed capital markets, the development of more balanced financial systems that promises to improve the collective welfare of society requires policy reforms that support the growth of capital market.