Banking efficiency and competition in low income countries: the case of Uganda

There is a concern that the state dominated, inefficient and fragile banking systems in many low-income countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, are a major hindrance to economic growth. In this context, this article systematically analyses the impact of the far-reaching banking sector reforms undertaken in Uganda on banking sector competition and efficiency. Using models of banking competition and efficiency that have been predominantly estimated in industrial countries, we find that the level of competition has significantly increased and has been associated with a rise in efficiency of the sector. Moreover, on average, larger banks and foreign-owned banks are more efficient than others while smaller banks have fallen back in efficiency with the increase in competitive pressures.