Is there a role for Islamic finance and R&D in endogenous growth models in the case of Indonesia?

Abstract

The validity of growth models is debatable, more so in developing than in developed economies. We contribute to this debate by testing the relevance of semi-endogenous growth models in explaining Indonesia's economic growth transformation. Using historical time series data (1968 to 2018), we test growth models from a unique perspective by examining the roles of the Islamic financial market, the conventional financial system, and structural changes. We show that Indonesia's growth experience is best characterized by a semi-endogenous growth model driven by research activity and access to the financial system, particularly the Islamic financial market. We conclude that while linear models fail to support semi-endogenous growth models, nonlinear models do support them.