ICT diffusion, financial development, and economic growth: Panel evidence from SAARC countries

This study examines the interrelation of ICT diffusion and financial development with economic growth in SAARC economies, by employing data for the time period 2000-2017. The empirical analysis is carried out using granger causality and cointegration techniques. First generation panel unit root tests namely LLC, IPS, ADF, and PP test were employed for this purpose. All the variables were found to be integrated of order one at first difference. Pedroni's cointegration test along with Kao's residual-based cointegration test was used which reveals the presence of long-run relationship among the variables. Further, cointegration coefficients are computed with the help of fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares method. While financial development, ICT diffusion, and trade openness were found to increase the growth rate, inflation exhibited negative impact on growth. Both short-run and long-run causality were examined using panel granger causality test which revealed unidirectional causality running from ICT diffusion and financial sector development to economic growth. However, the result of causation between financial sector development and the ICT diffusion was statistically insignificant.