Albert Lessoua

Cette étude évalue l’impact de l’accès à la microfinance sur la réduction de la pauvreté dans les quartiers périurbains de Lomé au Togo. Nous utilisons la méthode d’appariement sur les scores de propension à partir d’une enquête auprès de 639 ménages clients et non clients d’institutions de microfinance. Nos résultats révèlent que la microfinance a eu un impact positif sur la réduction de la pauvreté : le revenu monétaire et la richesse matérielle des ménages clients de la microfinance sont plus élevés que ceux des ménages non clients. Ces résultats peuvent aider à formuler de nouvelles politiques permettant d’améliorer les moyens d’existence en milieu périurbain. Codes JEL : G21, I32, F61, O12, O55.

This paper examines the impact of exports and its main determinants on the financial performance of the Romanian wine industry. We draw on a dataset consisting of mixed firm-level (i.e., 207 companies) data, Google Trends data, and regional variables covering the period from 2009 to 2017. We show that Romanian wine exports, at the firm level, are positively affected by regional wine yields (especially in the case of red wine varieties), temperature, and firm agglomeration, and negatively impacted by firm size. We also find a close positive correlation between financial performance and exports. (JEL Classifications: F61, L66, C23)

This paper deals with the dynamics of growth in the countries of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), focusing on external trade, in particular with China. Its aim is to shed light on the increasing influence of China in Africa. It uses dynamic panel estimations to measure the impact of trade orientation on economic growth in the CEMAC countries and concludes that specialization in natural resources affects economic growth negatively. But this effect is somewhat mitigated by the orientation towards China. Moreover, the weak intraregional trade between CEMAC countries has failed to contribute to their economic growth.