Mohd Zaini Abd Karim

Comparative Bank Efficiency across Select ASEAN Countries

Bank efficiency becomes critically important in an environment of increasingly contestable international markets. As such, information regarding the efficiency of banks in a particular country as compared with their counterparts in other countries is important, as it enables policy-makers to make better decisions regarding the direction of their banking industry. Hence, by using a stochastic cost frontier approach, this study investigates whether there are significant differences in bank efficiency across select countries in the ASEAN region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand). The results indicate that there are significant differences. The results also show that, on average, the ASEAN banks enjoy increasing returns to scale. Although scale economies for the ASEAN banks decrease with asset sizes, larger banks tend to have higher cost efficiency than smaller banks. These results support the policy of banking sector consolidation in the ASEAN countries.

Monetary Policy and Sectoral Bank Lending in Malaysia

Abstract Unlike most studies on the effect of monetary policy on bank lending, this article intends to answer the question whether the tightening of monetary policy in Malaysia before and after the financial crisis in 1997 affected differently the commercial bank lending to various sectors of the economy. To achieve the objective, Vector Autoregressive Regression (VAR) method was used to generate impulse response function and variance decomposition to trace the impact of a shock in monetary policy on bank lending in Malaysia. The results show that a monetary policy tightening in Malaysia gives a negative impact on all the sectors. Analyzing sectoral responses to monetary shocks, evidence is found that some sectors are more affected than the others. The manufacturing, agricultural, and mining sector seems to decline more than the aggregate bank lending in response to interest rate shock.

Bank Efficiency and Macro-economic Factors: The Case of Developing Countries

Abstract This paper examines the effects of macro-economic factors on bank efficiency of commercial banks in Asia, Middle East/North Africa, and Africa. To achieve the objective, the stochastic frontier approach (SFA) was used to simultaneously estimate the parameters of the stochastic frontier and the inefficiency model. The results show that the effect of macro-economic factors on bank efficiency differs across region. Cost inefficiency of the commercial banks in the Asian region is negatively related to the real gross domestic product per capita, credit to the private sector, and market concentration but is positively related to trade openness. Banks cost inefficiency in the Middle East/North Africa is negatively related to trade openness but is positively related to market concentration suggesting that banking market in this region should be more open to competition.

Efficiency and risk in commercial banking: empirical evidence from East Asian countries

This paper analyses the effects of off-balance sheet (OBS) activities and various types of risks on the cost and profit efficiencies of banks in seven East Asian countries between 2001 and 2008. Cost and profit efficiency scores are estimated using the data envelopment analysis approach. The results of this analysis are then used to identify the impact of OBS activities and risk exposures on cost and profit efficiencies using a Tobit regression. Bank insolvency risk (as measured by z-scores) is positively related to profit efficiency, while interest sensitivity, size, equity to total assets and OBS exposures all impact on cost efficiency. The analysis of the impact of input and output slacks illustrates that in around 1 in 5 cases banks’ cost efficiency can be improved by adjusting the former variables, whereas in only around 1 in 100 cases a similar outcome is possible for profit efficiency.

Tourism development and environmental degradation in the United States: evidence from wavelet-based analysis

The recent literatures indicate that the tourism development (TD) has significant influence over the environmental degradation of both high-tourist-arrival and low-tourist-arrival countries. This study investigates the empirical influence of TD on environmental degradation in a high-tourist-arrival economy (i.e. United States), using the wavelet transform framework. This new methodology enables the decomposition of time-series at different time–frequencies. In this study, we have used maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT), wavelet covariance, wavelet correlation, continuous wavelet power spectrum, wavelet coherence spectrum and wavelet-based Granger causality analysis to analyse the relationship between TD and CO2 emission in the United States by using the monthly data from the period of 1996(1) to 2015(3). Results indicate that TD is majorly having the positive influence over CE in short, medium and long run. We find the unidirectional influence of TD on CE in short run, medium and long run in the United States.

Is stock market sensitive to foreign capital inflows and economic growth?: Evidence from Pakistan

This study investigates the impact of foreign capital inflows and economic growth on stock market capitalization in Pakistan by using the annual time series data from the period of 1976 to 2011. The ARDL bound testing cointegration approach confirms the valid long run relationship between considered variables. Results indicate that foreign direct investment, workers’ remittances and economic growth have significant positive relationship with the stock market capitalization in long run as well as in short run. Results of dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) suggest that the initial results of long run coefficients are robust. Results of variance decomposition test show the bidirectional causal relationship of foreign direct investment and economic growth with stock market capitalization. However, unidirectional causal relationship is found in between workers’ remittances and stock market capitalization. It is suggested that in Pakistan, investor can make their investment decisions through keep an eye on the direction of the considered foreign capital inflows and economic growth.

Does Inward Foreign Direct Investment Lead Export Performance in Pakistan

This study is a pioneering attempt to investigate the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on export performance in Pakistan by using the long annual time series data from the period 1974–2012 and by using more rigorous econometric techniques. Autoregressive distributed lag-bound testing cointegration approach confirms the valid long-run relationship between considered variables. Results indicate the significant positive impact of FDI on real exports in long run as well as in short run. Results of Granger causality test, Toda and Yamamoto Modified Wald causality test and variance decomposition test confirm the bidirectional causal relationship between FDI and export performance in Pakistan. Results of rolling window analysis suggest that the coefficient of FDI in export model remains negative from 1983 to 1987, from 2001 to 2006 and in 2011. The coefficient of FDI in export model shows a positive coefficient in remaining years. It can be seen that FDI and real export are connected in complementary way in Pakistan. The policy makers should make policies that favour foreign investors so as to attract more FDI in Pakistan. It has been observed that a stable political and economic environment is desirable to attract more FDI in Pakistan.

Bank efficiency, profitability and equity capital: evidence from developing countries

This paper analysed the effects of profitability and equity capital on bank efficiency of commercial banks in the developing countries. To achieve the objectives, the stochastic frontier approach is used in the first stage of the analysis to obtain cost and profit efficiency scores. In the second stage, the efficiency scores obtained are regressed with a measure of banks equity capital and profitability by using the Tobit regression model. The results show that equity to total assets ratio has a negative effect on efficiency indicating that either the use of debts in financing bank operations or less regulatory condition contribute to higher efficiency. The results also found that return on assets have a positive effect on profit efficiency suggesting the needs for efficient utilisation of banks assets.

Government Spending Efficiency on Economic Growth: Roles of Value-added Tax

Abstract This study examines the impact of government spending efficiency on the economic growth of 115 countries with value-added tax (VAT) system. We seek to examine the moderating role of the VAT system on the relationship between public spending efficiency and the economic growth. Using Generalized Method of Moments estimation based on two-step estimate, we found (1) government spending efficiency promotes economic growth, (2) the VAT system is found to enhance the effect of an efficient government spending on the economic growth and (3) the moderating role of the VAT system is further enhanced by quality of democracy and legislative strength of the government.

Does trade-off between child quantity and child quality exist in Malaysia?

This paper analyzed whether the child quantity-quality (CQQ) trade-off is applicable in the case of Malaysia. Utilizing the instrumental variable (IV) method, our analysis produces results that are consistent with the hypothesis that the trade-off is unlikely to be applicable to Malaysia as a whole due to the generous public provision of education. However, the results show that the CQQ trade-off exists for the high-income group. Taken together, if both a larger stock of human capital and population are desired, the government should continue to provide education for its people while at the same time maintain policies that stimulate growth.