Abstract:
The primary goal of this study was to investigate the effects of budget deficit on fixed
investment using annual data for the period 1990-2017 in selected African countries
namely, Cameroon, Namibia, Ghana, Egypt, Seychelles, Mauritius, Botswana, Lesotho
and South Africa. The study employed panel unit root tests including the Augmented
Dickey-Fuller test, Philips Perron test and Levin Lin and chu test. The tests revealed that
all the variables are integrated at 1st difference. The study further employed the Panel
ARDL bounds test to examine the relationship between budget deficit, fixed investment,
money supply and inflation. The empirical findings indicated that a long run relationship
exists between the variables of interest. Furthermore, the results revealed that the budget
deficit has a negative and statistically significant effect on fixed investment. A one percent
increase in the budget deficit, ceteris paribus, leads to a reduction in fixed investment by
44 percent in the long run. The findings further postulated a bidirectional causal
relationship between budget deficit and fixed investment, between money supply and
fixed investment and between fixed investment and inflation. It was evident in the
research that indeed the budget deficit is a problematic macroeconomic policy in African
countries. Policy makers should limit high government expenditures as they contribute to
increased and persistent budget deficits which crowd out private investment.
