Effect of Financial Instability and Institutional Quality on Tax Revenue Mobilization in African Oil Exporting Countries Using CS-ARDL Techniques

Purpose: This study analyzes how financial instability and institutional quality influence tax revenue mobilization in African oil-exporting countries. It aims to establish whether strong institutional frameworks can insulate the adverse fiscal implications of financial sector volatility.

Design/methodology/approach: Using yearly panel data from 2000 to 2023, the study employs the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) approach, which is capable of accounting for cross-country dependence, slope heterogeneity, and mixed integration orders. The model combines key macroeconomic and fiscal indicators in order to generate robust and reliable estimation.

Findings: The findings indicate that financial instability reduces tax revenue mobilization but institutional quality enhances fiscal efficiency. However, instability compromises the benefits of robust institutions. Economic growth and government expenditure boost revenues, whereas oil rents have feeble implications, emphasizing the fiscal vulnerability of resource-rich economies.

Practical implications: The findings highlight the need for comprehensive fiscal and financial reforms. Policymakers must strengthen regulation of the financial system towards containing instability, encourage institutional responsibility to enhance compliance and disclosure, and undertake diversification of revenues that reduce dependence on oil revenues. These measures are needed to achieve fiscal resilience and sustainable long-term revenues in economies based on resources.

Originality/value: This article adds a new empirical contribution to the extant literature in examining simultaneously financial instability, institutional quality, and tax revenue performance for African oil exporters. Guided by a CS-ARDL model with an interactive framework, this article addresses cross-sectional dependence and dynamic heterogeneity to offer robust, policy-driven results on fiscal sustainability.

Keywords: Financial Instability, Institutional Quality, Tax Revenue Mobilization, CS-ARDL.