Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics

First Advisor

Monica Das

Abstract

The methodologies used to transfer remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa are currently predisposing their citizens to be dealt unethically large surcharges which are relatively greater than any other location in the world. These African nation's average remittance transaction fees were greater than 13% in 2006 and could become the greatest benefactor if a more efficient methodology of remittance currency transferring were to be created. For instance, if Sub-Saharan African citizens began to utilize cryptocurrencies instead of standard transfer companies like Western Union and MoneyGram; transfer fees could be reduced to as little as (.025%) which would directly send more funds to the people that need it the most. The methodologies within this paper consist of a semi-log poverty regression that utilized an econometric structure similar to the previous literature. In addition to previous regression analyses conducted by Gupta (2009), Giuliano (2008), Adams & Page (2005), and Ravallion (1997); I attempt to include variables in attempt to determine the role that technological integration has towards poverty mitigation. My econometric semi log regression analyzes 18 nations with Africa. These nations were specifically chosen in reference to their relatively large association with remittance transfers. Within this analysis of poverty within Sub Saharan Africa, a strong correlation between remittance transactions and poverty reduction is found. More specifically, the results also suggest that remittances transactions directly assist the most impoverished citizens within a nation most efficiently and that an increased technological infrastructure played a significant role within poverty mitigation. These conclusions should further incentives developing nations across the world to investigate how cryptocurrencies could effectively mitigate poverty.

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