International Journal of Economics and Financial Research

Online ISSN: 2411-9407
Print ISSN: 2413-8533

Quarterly Published (4 Issues Per Year)





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Volume 2 Number 9 September 2016

The Journey to Financial Inclusion in Malawi- What Does the Future Hold?


Authors: Byson Beracah Majanga
Pages: 169-175
Abstract
The paper analyses the history and current status of financial inclusion in Malawi and its associated impact on individual, societal, and overall nation development. Through a review of past literature on financial inclusion and a survey on individuals’ opinions on financial services availability and affordability, the study reveals that financial inclusion has a direct relationship with economic performance and that individual economic independence, financial literacy, and accessibility play crucial roles in determining the levels of financial inclusion in an economy.

Examining the Relationship between Term Structure of Interest Rates and Economic Activity in Namibia


Authors: Johannes Peyavali Sheefeni Sheefeni ; Teresia Kaulihowa
Pages: 161-168
Abstract
This paper analysed the forecasting ability of yield-curve as a predictor of the short-run fluctuations in economic activities in Namibia. The study employed the techniques of unit root, cointegration, impulse response functions and forecast error variance decomposition on the quarterly data covering the period 1996 to 2015. The results revealed a negative relationship between the term structure of interest rates and economic activities, though statistically insignificant. This suggests that the yield-curve has no forecasting ability as a predictor of economic activity in Namibia.