A new currency for West African states: The theoretical and political conditions of its feasibility

Recent developments in the monetary situation in West Africa, in particular the transformation for the CFA franc area and the project to build a single currency for the CEDEAO/ECOWAS, require a systematic review of the assumptions underlying the formation of monetary unions. The article provides a c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Massimo Amato, Kako Nubukpo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associazione Economia civile 2020-03-01
Series:PSL Quarterly Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/PSLQuarterlyReview/article/view/16637/pdf
Description
Summary:Recent developments in the monetary situation in West Africa, in particular the transformation for the CFA franc area and the project to build a single currency for the CEDEAO/ECOWAS, require a systematic review of the assumptions underlying the formation of monetary unions. The article provides a critical review of the traditional theoretical foundations of optimal currency areas (OCAs) and their subsequent amendments, in light of the problems that emerged in the most relevant monetary unions. On specific points, a comparison is made between the eurozone and the CFA zone. The article then investigates the specific characteristics of the monetary area affected by the reform project, and finally it indicates the main lines along which the project of a common currency to all the states that currently make up the CEDEAO/ECOWAS could evolve, identifying four possible alternative roadmaps.
ISSN:2037-3635
2037-3643