Enhancing North Africa's infrastructure for improved competitiveness

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Enhancing North Africa's infrastructure for improved competitiveness
Authors:	Yogo, Urbain Thierry Verdier-Chouchane, Audrey
Year:	2015
Periodical:	African Development Review (ISSN 1467-8268)
Volume:	27
Issue:	3
Pages:	274-287
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Northern Africa
Subjects:	infrastructure competition economic models
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8268.12146
Abstract:	This paper aims at assessing the relationship between infrastructure development and competitiveness in North Africa. Based on the World Bank data, the authors analyze the infrastructure indicators of four North African countries over the period 1996-2012 and estimate the elasticity of competitiveness with respect to infrastructure development. They first argue that competitiveness could be improved by investing more on infrastructure. Although comparison with sub-Saharan Africa reveals that important progress has been made in North Africa in terms of quantity, countries need to improve the infrastructure quality by investing in green energy, in maintenance, in public private partnerships and in regional infrastructure. Econometric analysis confirms that a 1 percent increase in infrastructure quality raises competitiveness by 0.64 percent. Country specific elasticity is respectively 0.22 in Algeria, 1.42 in Egypt, 0.36 in Tunisia and 0.56 in Morocco. Based on these results, appropriate policy recommendations are discussed. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]