5. Conclusion and some policy implications
A substantial body of literature suggests that financial market development
plays a significant role in economic growth through fostering
savings mobilization, easing risk management, promoting technological
transfer, and reducing information and transaction costs. While a considerable
body of literature reports a strong and positive relationship
between finance and growth, financial sector underdevelopment and
low levels of financial openness have been named as part of the key
challenges to sustained economic growth in sub-Saharan African countries.
The paper explores the effects of financial integration on economic
growth in Botswana over the period 1974–2009. The study focuses on
Botswana for two main reasons: firstly it has had a ‘unique’ economic
growth experience and its developmental record remains one of the
continents' success stories so far; and secondly, unlike other African
countries, Botswana has undertaken ambitious and targeted economic
liberalisation reforms to promote private sector and achieve a strong
and diversified economy. Thus the country boasts a favourable business
environment today, in addition to well-functioning institutions and a
stable financial system (AfDB et al., 2012).
From initial inspection of the data and trends, it is observed that
capital market development in Botswana is strongly driven by foreign
companies, although domestic market capitalisation still remains low.
It is also seen that capitalmarket development and financial integration
portray a positive correlation as per the expectation (see also Fig. 2).We
apply the VECM modelling strategy which provides a more realistic
dynamic representation of our estimation and that is also relevant for
identifying a suitable cointegrating relationship between variables.
The study uses various indicators of financial integration and a number
of measures of financial developments. Further, the research considers
both the direct and indirect channels through which the impact of
financial integration works in the case of Botswana. Although financial
integration is often associated with higher economic growth, we do
not find a robust and statistically significant association between
financial openness and growth in Botswana.We believe this is because
economic growth in Botswanamay not have been heavily dependent on
FDI capital flows, given that the country has had a long history of large
foreign exchange reserves. The research conducts further investigation
to examine the link between capitalmarket development and economic
performance. A positive and significant short-term relationship between
stock market development and economic growth is observed.
This suggests that the stock market plays a crucial role of improving
resource allocation and providing information to foster economic development
in this economy.
We further investigate the possibility of indirect growth causation of
international capital flows through stimulating international trade,
boosting technological diffusion and encouraging financial innovation
thereby fostering development. The results show that financial openness
(financial integration) has a statistically significant effect on all
our indicators of financial development. Although the relationship
between financial integration and growth initially is, at best, weak, we
believe this is not to say that financial integration does not promote
economic growth as it could do so indirectly through fostering financial
development. Botswana may be benefiting from international financial
5. Conclusion and some policy implicationsA substantial body of literature suggests that financial market developmentplays a significant role in economic growth through fosteringsavings mobilization, easing risk management, promoting technologicaltransfer, and reducing information and transaction costs. While a considerablebody of literature reports a strong and positive relationshipbetween finance and growth, financial sector underdevelopment andlow levels of financial openness have been named as part of the keychallenges to sustained economic growth in sub-Saharan African countries.The paper explores the effects of financial integration on economicgrowth in Botswana over the period 1974–2009. The study focuses onBotswana for two main reasons: firstly it has had a ‘unique’ economicgrowth experience and its developmental record remains one of thecontinents' success stories so far; and secondly, unlike other Africancountries, Botswana has undertaken ambitious and targeted economicliberalisation reforms to promote private sector and achieve a strongand diversified economy. Thus the country boasts a favourable businessenvironment today, in addition to well-functioning institutions and astable financial system (AfDB et al., 2012).From initial inspection of the data and trends, it is observed thatcapital market development in Botswana is strongly driven by foreigncompanies, although domestic market capitalisation still remains low.It is also seen that capitalmarket development and financial integrationportray a positive correlation as per the expectation (see also Fig. 2).Weapply the VECM modelling strategy which provides a more realisticdynamic representation of our estimation and that is also relevant foridentifying a suitable cointegrating relationship between variables.The study uses various indicators of financial integration and a numberof measures of financial developments. Further, the research considersboth the direct and indirect channels through which the impact offinancial integration works in the case of Botswana. Although financialintegration is often associated with higher economic growth, we donot find a robust and statistically significant association betweenfinancial openness and growth in Botswana.We believe this is becauseeconomic growth in Botswanamay not have been heavily dependent onFDI capital flows, given that the country has had a long history of largeforeign exchange reserves. The research conducts further investigationto examine the link between capitalmarket development and economicperformance. A positive and significant short-term relationship betweenstock market development and economic growth is observed.This suggests that the stock market plays a crucial role of improvingresource allocation and providing information to foster economic developmentin this economy.We further investigate the possibility of indirect growth causation ofinternational capital flows through stimulating international trade,
boosting technological diffusion and encouraging financial innovation
thereby fostering development. The results show that financial openness
(financial integration) has a statistically significant effect on all
our indicators of financial development. Although the relationship
between financial integration and growth initially is, at best, weak, we
believe this is not to say that financial integration does not promote
economic growth as it could do so indirectly through fostering financial
development. Botswana may be benefiting from international financial
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