Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Mohammed Laksaci

Author

Mohammed Laksaci
Former governor, Bank of Algeria

Mohammed Laksaci graduated from Algiers's Ecole Superieure de Commerce in 1978 with a bachelor degree in finance. He holds a bachelorís and a masterís degree in economics from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL, Belgium). In 1985, he received his PhD in economics from UCLouvain, where he also worked as a teaching assistant from 1982 to 1985 in charge of the Monetary Theory course. From 1986 to 1990, he was a lecturer at Algiersís Ecole Superieure de Commerce and president of its scientific council. From 2001 to 2016, he was Governor at the International Monetary Fund for Algeria, and a member of its international monetary and financial committee representing a group of six countries : Afghanistan, Algeria, Ghana, Iran, Morocco and Tunisia. During that period, he also served as Vice-Governor at the Arab Monetary Fund. Laksaci was nominated president of the Association of African Central Banks twice. Since November 2016, he is a visiting lecturer at Ecole Superieure de Commerce, dispensing courses for PhD students.

Content by this Author

Rethinking the macroeconomics of resource-rich countries

After years of high commodity prices, a new era of lower prices, especially for oil, will be challenging for resource-rich countries, which must cope with the decline in income and the potential widening of internal and external imbalances. This column summarises a recent eBook in which leading economists examine the shifting landscape in commodity markets and explore the exchange rate, monetary and fiscal policy options, as well as the role of finance, including sovereign wealth funds and diversification.

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A Macroeconomic Accounting of Unemployment in Jordan:  Unemployment is mainly an issue for adults and men

Since unemployment rates in Jordan are higher among young people and women than other groups, unemployment is commonly characterised as a youth and gender issue. However, the majority of the country’s unemployed are adults and men. This suggests that unemployment is primarily a macroeconomic issue challenge for the entire labour market. The appropriate response therefore is coordinated fiscal, monetary, structural and institutional policies, while more targeted measures can still benefit specific groups.

Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.




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