[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/intecj/v20y2006i3p321-341.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring the size of the hidden economy in Trinidad & Tobago, 1973-1999

Author

Listed:
  • Alain Maurin
  • Sandra Sookram
  • Patrick Kent Watson
Abstract
In this paper, an attempt is made to measure the hidden economy of Trinidad & Tobago over the period 1973-1999, within the Structural Cointegrating VAR (SCVAR) framework. Using a Tanzi-type currency demand approach as a starting point, a multiple equation SCVAR model is estimated that contains two long-run relationships linking the demand for currency with other variables. The model is evaluated on the basis of its persistence profiles, its impulse responses and other statistical criteria. It is solved using a Gauss-Siedel algorithm and is used to establish that the size of the hidden economy rose from a low of about 14% of measured GDP in the early 1970s to a high of 36% in 1981, and is currently about 20% of measured GDP. Hidden economic activity is also found to be highly positively correlated with activity in the regular economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Alain Maurin & Sandra Sookram & Patrick Kent Watson, 2006. "Measuring the size of the hidden economy in Trinidad & Tobago, 1973-1999," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 321-341.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:intecj:v:20:y:2006:i:3:p:321-341
    DOI: 10.1080/10168730600879406
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10168730600879406
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/10168730600879406?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mr. Ebrima A Faal, 2003. "Currency Demand, the Underground Economy, and, Tax Evasion—The Case of Guyana," IMF Working Papers 2003/007, International Monetary Fund.
    2. Pesaran, H. Hashem & Shin, Yongcheol, 1998. "Generalized impulse response analysis in linear multivariate models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 17-29, January.
    3. Anthony Garratt & Kevin Lee & M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin, 2003. "A Long run structural macroeconometric model of the UK," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(487), pages 412-455, April.
    4. Anthony Garratt & Kevin Lee & Mohammad Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin, 1998. "A structural cointegrating VAR approach to macroeconometric modelling," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 8, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    5. Pesaran, M. Hashem & Shin, Yongcheol, 1996. "Cointegration and speed of convergence to equilibrium," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1-2), pages 117-143.
    6. Karl M. Bennett, 1995. "Economic decline and the growth of the informal sector: The Guyana and Jamaica experience," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 7(2), pages 229-242, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hilaire, Alvin & Mahabir, Reshma, 2020. "The great exchange: Rapid demonetization in Trinidad and Tobago," Latin American Journal of Central Banking (previously Monetaria), Elsevier, vol. 1(1).
    2. Nguyen Thai Hoa, 2019. "How large is Vietnam's informal economy?," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 81-100, February.
    3. Imamoglu, Hatice, 2021. "The role of financial development on the underground economy in regards to Europe’s 2020 strategy," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(2).
    4. Yallwe, Hagos Alem & Buscemi, Antonino, 2011. "Money laundry and financial development," MPRA Paper 32219, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Sarsen Zhanabekov, 2022. "Robust determinants of the shadow economy," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(4), pages 1017-1052, October.
    6. Imamoglu, Hatice, 2017. "Estimating the roles of financial sector development and international trade openness in underground economies: Evidence from the European Union," Economics Discussion Papers 2017-50, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Claus Brand & Nuno Cassola, 2004. "A money demand system for euro area M3," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(8), pages 817-838.
    2. MAURIN Alain & SOOKRAM Sandra & WATSON Patrick Kent, 2010. "Measuring the Size of the Hidden Economy in Trinidad & Tobago," EcoMod2003 330700098, EcoMod.
    3. Pesaran M.H. & Schuermann T. & Weiner S.M., 2004. "Modeling Regional Interdependencies Using a Global Error-Correcting Macroeconometric Model," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 22, pages 129-162, April.
    4. Ann Cavlovic & Kathleen Day, "undated". "Equalization and the Incentives for Growth: An Empirical Investigation of the "Tax-Back" Effect," Working Papers-Department of Finance Canada 2003-23, Department of Finance Canada.
    5. Assenmacher-Wesche, K. & Pesaran, M.H., 2008. "A VECX* Model of the Swiss Economy," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0809, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    6. Catherine Prettner & Klaus Prettner, 2012. "After Two Decades of Integration: How Interdependent are Eastern European Economies and the Euro Area?," EcoMod2012 4421, EcoMod.
    7. Mohaddes Kamiar & Raissi Mehdi, 2013. "Oil Prices, External Income, and Growth: Lessons from Jordan," Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 99-131, August.
    8. Lombardi, Marco J. & Galesi, Alessandro, 2009. "External shocks and international inflation linkages: a global VAR analysis," Working Paper Series 1062, European Central Bank.
    9. Pesaran, Mohammad Hashem & Holly, Sean & Dees, Stephane & Smith, L. Vanessa, 2007. "Long Run Macroeconomic Relations in the Global Economy," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 1, pages 1-20.
    10. Anthony Garratt & Kevin Lee & M. Hashem Pesaran & Yongcheol Shin, 2003. "A Long run structural macroeconometric model of the UK," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(487), pages 412-455, April.
    11. Garratt, Anthony & Lee, Kevin C & Pesaran, M. Hashem & Shin, Yongcheol, 1998. "A Structural Cointegrating VAR Approach to Macroeconometric Modelling," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 9823, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    12. Esfahani, Hadi Salehi & Mohaddes, Kamiar & Pesaran, M. Hashem, 2013. "Oil exports and the Iranian economy," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 221-237.
    13. Hadi Salehi Esfahani & Kamiar Mohaddes & M. Hashem Pesaran, 2014. "An Empirical Growth Model For Major Oil Exporters," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 1-21, January.
    14. Melisso Boschi, 2012. "Long- and short-run determinants of capital flows to Latin America: a long-run structural GVAR model," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 1041-1071, December.
    15. Brand, Claus & Cassola, Nuno, 2000. "A money demand system for euro area M3," Working Paper Series 0039, European Central Bank.
    16. Paul Gaggl & Serguei Kaniovski & Klaus Prettner & Thomas Url, 2009. "The short and long-run interdependencies between the Eurozone and the USA," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 36(2), pages 209-227, May.
    17. van Dijk, Dick & Hans Franses, Philip & Peter Boswijk, H., 2007. "Absorption of shocks in nonlinear autoregressive models," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 51(9), pages 4206-4226, May.
    18. Pesaran, M. Hashem & Schuermann, Til & Treutler, Bjorn-Jakob & Weiner, Scott M., 2006. "Macroeconomic Dynamics and Credit Risk: A Global Perspective," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(5), pages 1211-1261, August.
    19. Kenneth F. Wallis & Jan P. A. M. Jacobs, 2005. "Comparing SVARs and SEMs: two models of the UK economy," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(2), pages 209-228.
    20. Drakos, Anastassios A., 2016. "Does the relationship between small and large portfolios’ returns confirm the lead–lag effect? Evidence from the Athens Stock Exchange," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 546-561.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:intecj:v:20:y:2006:i:3:p:321-341. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RIEJ20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.