WP08/2013
Jel Classification
C82, E22, E62
N° Pages
30
Network Effects and Infrastructure Productivity in Developing Countries
Abstract

This paper proposes to investigate the threshold effects of the productivity of infrastructure investment in developing countries within a panel data framework. Various specifications of an augmented production function that allow for endogenous thresholds are considered. The overwhelming outcome is the presence of strong threshold effects in the relationship between output and private and public inputs. Whatever the transition mechanism used, the testing procedures lead to strong rejection of the linearity of this relationship. In particular, the productivity of infrastructure investment generally exhibits some network effects. When the available stock of infrastructure is very low, investment in this sector has the same productivity as non-infrastructure investment. On the contrary, when a minimum network is available, the marginal productivity of infrastructure investment is generally largely greater than the productivity of other investments. Finally, when the main network is achieved, its marginal productivity becomes similar to the productivity of other investment.

Keywords
Infrastructure, Threshold Panel Regression Models