E43 - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and EffectsReturn

This paper closely examines how selected macroeconomic variables affect income in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study employs a more recent dataset and uses fixed and random effects models to characterise the nature and direction of impact evidenced from the data. The analysis further incorporates a monetary policy element by introducing money market interest rate and examining its effects. In general, the paper reveals that income in SSA is significantly affected by trade. Additionally, money market interest rate is found to have no major impact on income as may be perceived, suggesting that this aspect of monetary policy has not played a major role in affecting income levels in SSA. The findings of this study can serve as a guide for policy makers within the region when considering policy actions in relation to income.

I apply interest rate rules, especially the Taylor rule, to identify basic determinants of the central banks' decision-making process. The results confirmed herding behaviour related to the central bank financial assets and its economic power in the US and Eurozone. The conclusions are discussed in relation to the exchange rate movements and capital flows. The empirical strategy reflects different lag structure and employs autoregressive distributed lag models.