National Trade Policies and Smuggling in Africa: The Case of The Gambia and Senegal

Golub, Stephen S.; Mbaye, Ahmadou Aly

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2008.08.006

Cited by 46 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Before the privatization of the peanut parastatal SONACOS and the dissolution of its affiliate SONAGRAINES, registered traders who gathered peanuts for SONACOS would use the advances intended for peanut cultivation to instead finance sugar, rice, and tomato concentrate imports from the Gambia. Collusion between the Senegalese state and heads of the Mourides has been well documented (see Golub and Mbaye, ). Notables in the Mouride brotherhood receive special favors from the state.…”

Section: The Informal Sector and The Institutional Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Informal Sector, Productivity, and Enforcement in West Africa: A Firm‐level Analysis

Benjamín

Mbaye

2012

Review Development Economics

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102

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The informal sector accounts for a major share of African economies' GDP, employment and firms. Most national surveys of the sector focus on informal employment rather than the structure of informal businesses, with sample designs oriented to small scale individual or household firms. Here, firm‐level data are used, collected on 900 formal and informal businesses in the capitals of Benin, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Data from these surveys, complemented by semi‐structured interviews of major stakeholders in the three cities as well as data from national accounts, document huge enforcement problems, leading to the emergence of large informal actors coexisting with smaller informal businesses. While there is a significant difference in productivity between formal and informal firms, the productivity gap is much smaller for large informal firms than for small informal firms, suggesting that large informal firms have the pre‐requisites to formalize but choose not to do so.

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Section: The Informal Sector and The Institutional Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Informal Sector, Productivity, and Enforcement in West Africa: A Firm‐level Analysis

Benjamín

Mbaye

2012

Review Development Economics

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102

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“…The sample includes women who dominate the smuggling of daily goods (sugar, fabric, tomato concentrate, vegetable oil, batteries, matches, and tea), which are subject to significant trade ADVERSE INCORPORATION AND MICROFINANCE AMONG CROSS-BORDER TRADERS IN SENEGAL 201 barriers in Senegal. The Gambia (like Benin and Togo) is wellknown as an entrepô t state in the region, keeping import tariffs low so as to encourage this re-export trade (Golub & Mbaye, 2009). The research was designed to identify the determinants of labor participation and success in trade by investigating women's networks of assistance for credit and mobility within and beyond the household.…”

Section: Data Context and Methods (A) Data And Key Sample Charactermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is thus crucial to ensure that women's activities and organizations are accurately represented, particularly when donors depend on them for their projects. Second, as Golub and Mbaye (2009) show, this trade represents a significant source of consumer goods and bilateral trade between the Gambia and Senegal. Unsurprisingly, it is a critical source of income for rural women who constitute the majority of cross-border traders.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adverse Incorporation and Microfinance among Cross-Border Traders in Senegal

Howson

2013

World Development

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“…The colonial administrations and European traders were keen to reduce barter for goods destined to the international markets by using the BWAS for goods purchased during the latter part of colonialism (Hopkins, ). Given the extent of unofficial trade in the region today (Meagher, ; Golub & Mbaye, ), maintaining the BWAS would have eliminated exchange rate conversion costs, expanded regional trade and raised the income of traders.…”

Section: The Slave Trade and Colonialism (1650 To 1960s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Regional trade institutions in West Africa: Historical reflections

Bah

Jackson

Potts

2017

J of Intl Development

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This paper reflects on trade institutions across West Africa from the Empirehood to the present day. We found that regional trade institutions were more standardised across West Africa before the current countries gained their independence. We argue that reflection on past trade institutions could provide important guidance for policy makers currently involved in deepening the Economic Community of West African States. Our review of the literature suggests that the Empirehood was an era with more standardised trade institutions across the region relative to the current ones. Societal norms and political consensus such as the ‘Mande charter’ and the coming of Islam created a discipline that enhanced confidence in the ability to trade, which was facilitated by common trade institutions such as convertible common currencies and letters of credit. During the colonial era, West African common currencies were also established to facilitate exchange. Historical changes in governance resulted in the loss of some facets of well‐functioning trade institutions. This paper argues that historical context can provide policy makers with the confidence that current institutional barriers to trade can be addressed. Economic Community of West African States members could reflect on historical good practices if they are to accelerate the integration process and to realise the full potential of regional trade. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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National Trade Policies and Smuggling in Africa: The Case of The Gambia and Senegal

Cited by 46 publications

References 5 publications

The Informal Sector, Productivity, and Enforcement in West Africa: A Firm‐level Analysis

The Informal Sector, Productivity, and Enforcement in West Africa: A Firm‐level Analysis

Adverse Incorporation and Microfinance among Cross-Border Traders in Senegal

Regional trade institutions in West Africa: Historical reflections

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