Does Financial Liberalization and Investment Rate Affect Financial Development in Cameroon?

Abstract

This study investigates the key determining factors of financial development using Cameroons time series data from 1977 to 2010. After over-viewing the financial market and financial development in Cameroon and exploring some relevant literature, the study specifies and estimates long- and short-run functions for financial development using co-integration and error correction techniques. Financial liberalization, Gross investment rate, GDP growth rate, inflation rate and government spending appear to significantly influence the level of credit to the private sector in Cameroon. Gross investment rate significantly promotes financial development in the long- and short run whereas financial liberalization significantly contributes to private credit only in the short run. These results suggest that the efficiency of the financial sector in allocating credit to the private sector could be enhanced by encouraging gross investment in the short and long run and equally by liberalising the financial sector in the short run.