Budget Accountability and Economic Growth in Africa: The Role of E-Procurement

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between budget accountability and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a focus on the moderating role of e-procurement. The analysis is conducted using datasets derived from Open Budget Index (OBI) published by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), The Global Public Procurement Database (GPPD), from the world Bank and the various test variable, which are different indicators of economic growth. Using a panel dataset comprising 35 SSA countries from 2010 to 2023, the research employs the two-step system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) for estimation. The findings indicate that budget accountability positively influences economic growth in SSA. This relationship is more strengthened by e-procurement to control the susceptibility of huge government spending that is most be deviled with corruption, especially in SSA. This study draws the attention of SSA and other developing countries government to the need to restructure their budget processes to make it transparent, participatory and put in more robust oversight, which include e-procurement that suit their environment and their economic individualities in an effort to benefit from budget accountability enhancing economic growth nexus.