- Volume 11, Number 4 (2023)
MONETARY GUARDIANS: ASSESSING THE ROLE OF CENTRAL BANK CREDIBILITY IN SUSTAINING THE JAPANESE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
Kenji Sato Takahashi
This study investigates the impact of the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) credibility on the Japanese economy. Following the burst of the so-called bubble economy in the early 1990s, Japan faced severe economic challenges. Despite implementing unprecedented zero-interest policies to combat deflation and stimulate the economy, the BOJ's efforts proved ineffective. The mid-1990s saw the Asian currency crisis further exacerbating Japan's economic woes. In 2001, the BOJ pioneered the quantitative easing policy, a novel approach globally. This monetary authority continued to employ quantitative and qualitative monetary easing measures, including negative interest rates akin to the European Central Bank. Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio,...
FINANCIAL INCLUSION UNLEASHED: MOBILE MONEY ADOPTION STRATEGIES IN THE WAEMU REGION
Issa Traoré Diarra
The proliferation of mobile phones in developing countries has ushered in a transformative era for financial inclusion through mobile financial technology, commonly known as mobile money. This innovative approach leverages mobile phones to facilitate financial services, including remittances, savings, loans, and limited access to bank accounts, without requiring internet connectivity. The landscape of mobile money providers varies by country, encompassing mobile operators and banks in some regions while restricted to banks in others due to regulatory frameworks. In the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), mobile money services are contingent upon central bank approval, involving licensed banks, microfinance institutions,...
DURATION DILEMMAS: UNRAVELING THE FACTORS BEHIND UNEMPLOYMENT DURATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Juliette Roméo Ondzongo
Achieving internal balance and reducing unemployment is a fundamental objective for nations worldwide. Despite various strategies and policies aimed at addressing this challenge, global unemployment rates persist. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2018), developed countries experience an unemployment rate of 5.5%, while developing countries face 5.3% unemployment. Sub-Saharan African countries, including Congo, grapple with higher unemployment rates, with ILO forecasting a rate of 7.3% in 2019. Congo, like many other Sub-Saharan African nations, contends with a demographic landscape characterized by high unemployment rates, particularly among its youth. In 2016, the ILO reported a youth unemployment rate of 30.5%,...
CASABLANCA INSIGHTS: MAPPING THE DETERMINANTS OF FEMALE INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT IN MOROCCO
Leila Amrani El Idrissi
Morocco, like many developing countries, grapples with a dual economic structure, characterized by a coexistence of formal and informal economic activities, with the latter being predominant. The Informal Production Units (IPUs) in Morocco, estimated at approximately 1.68 million units, play a significant role in the economy, contributing around 12.3% to the country's GDP and generating nearly 37% of nonagricultural jobs, totaling approximately two and a half million jobs. This prevalence of informal activities is a consequence of long-standing structural issues in the Moroccan economy, including low economic growth rates, inadequate job creation, and a persistent rural-to-urban migration trend. In this...