Bank credit allocation by sector: causes and effects on economic growth in Haiti

Abstract

This study assesses the allocation of bank loans across industries in Haiti over the period 2000-2015 and produces fresh evidence supporting the following claims: (1) Credit shares by industry appear to be sticky over time in spite of changing industry-specific conditions and sharp relative price changes; (2) Consistent with the previous finding, econometric exercises confirm that loan portfolio allocations are not governed by recent sector performance, casting doubts about the efficiency of loan portfolios; (3) As a result of intense financial constraints, credit expansion seems to be a major driver of industry growth. Several policy recommendations emerge from the study.