An investigation of the relationship between trade openess and economic growth in Namibia

The study investigated the relationship between trade openness and economic growth for Namibia using annual time series data over the period 1980 to 2011. The variables used include GDP per capita, labour force, capital formation, trade openness and real exchange rate. This study employed time series techniques such as unit root, co-integration, Granger-causality, impulse response function and forecast error variance decomposition. The Johansen co-integration analysis and Vector Auto-regression Model (VAR) are used in estimating the long run relationship between trade openness and economic growth. There was co-integration of variables for trade openness and economic growth. The results found a positive long run relationship between the variables. The Granger-causality showed no causation from trade openness and economic growth. The findings suggest that effective policies that promote labour-intensive industrial sectors would boost trade for economic growth in Namibia. Therefore, promoting trade in various avenues can enhance economic growth in Namibia.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Namibia

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Samundengu, Florence M.

• Trade openess
• Economic growth

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/1676

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/1676