01844cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF005545 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781451871616 1018-5941 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL Chen, Chuling. Bank Efficiency in Sub-Saharan African Middle Income Countries / Chuling Chen. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2009. 1 online resource (34 pages) IMF Working Papers <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students We use bank level data to study the efficiency of banks in Sub-Saharan African middle-income countries and provide possible explanations for the difference in the efficiency levels of banks. We find that banks, on average, could save 20-30 percent of their total costs if they were operating efficiently, and that foreign banks are more efficient than public banks and domestic private banks. Among the factors that could affect the efficiency levels are macroeconomic stability, depth of financial development, the degree of market competition, strong legal rights and contract laws, and better governance, including political stability and government effectiveness. Our findings point to the importance of policies that aim to build stronger institutions, promote more competition, and improve governance. Mode of access: Internet IMF Working Papers; Working Paper ; No. 2009/014 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/001/2009/014/001.2009.issue-014-en.xml IMF e-Library