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Issues No 1: 2010
Lessons Learned On Studying Economic Growth And Development In Sub-Saharan Africa Over The Past Three Decades
Heikki Haili
Abstract:
This paper presents thoughts on studying economic growth and development in the current framework of social and political reality of Sub-Saharan African countries (Africa, SSA). The paper notes the need for (i) strategic options to improve policy outcomes in order to sustain growth in a more predictable way over time; (ii) industrial policies to transform economies from traditional economic activities towards modern industrial activities; (iii) to learn fro success stories like from Botswana’s experience; and 4) the challenge Africa is facing now. In my view, studying strategic options and designing policies for structural transformation require relevant methodology, extensive enough scope, and proper depth of the analyses to reveal all those pertinent factors that are necessary for understanding the underlying processes of successful transformation and growth over the long term.
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Efforts By Local Government Authorities in Promoting Local Economic Growth in Districts: Experiences From Mkuranga District, Tanzania
B.D. Sebyiga
Institute of Rural Development Planning, Dodoma
Abstract:
Local economic growth in districts will for some years to come depend on Local Government Authorities and Central government leadership commitment to promote productivity by all citizens in the districts. A study aimed at taking stock of income generating activities, their status and how LGA leadership was involved to promote local economic growth in its area of jurisdiction was conducted in Mkuranga district from November, 2009 to February, 2010. The study adopted both baseline and survey methods, and involved a variety of respondents. Findings reveal that areas of Mkuranga LGA support directed to IGAs and hence to promote Local Economic Growth (LEG) were mainly on creating awareness in terms of existing laws, by-laws and regulations pertaining to businesses; providing entrepreneurial and business knowledge and skills, facilitating business licensing system and formation of entrepreneurs’ groups, associations and societies; sensitizing entrepreneurs to participate in local markets through trade fairs as well as improving productive infrastructure facilities such as road networks and organize periodic markets for IGA products. However, LGAs were found to be constrained by several problems which posed as challenges to Mkuranga District Council leaders in promoting productivity to majority of local people in the district.
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Democratic Institutional Design in Tanzania: An Analysis of Efficacy of Social Contracts from the Era of Mwalimu Nyerere to the Present
Aurelia N. Kamuzora and Faustin R. Kamuzora
Mzumbe University
Abstract:
From the social contract point of view, democracy is a reflection of maximising utilities (satisfaction) of the caucuses and electorate during the execution of social contract after election is over. Democracy is an economic empowerment and governance instrument if the process involved is not affected by asymmetric information, bounded rationality, and opportunism among the agents. The caucuses and electorate enter an enforceable social contract, given that the caucuses and electorate understand the terms delineated in such social contract by the elected and voters. The terms of such social contract make the elected leader responsible to the voters. One part of the paper focuses on Nyerere’s democracy and his legacy in the agro-industry institutional design because agriculture employs 80% of the rural grassroots communities who constitute a largest bloc of voters. The members of the community vote for their representatives in different levels of the government bodies and organs so that the elected to champions causes the community. It is pointed out in the paper that Nyerere’s democratic institutional design could not properly establish enforceable social contract that could improve the agro-industry institutions to efficiency by empowering the voters to enforce such social contract. Democracy as a social contract would have changed agriculture if the leaders represented the needs of majority of the voters. Thus, the asymmetric information increased bounded rationality and opportunistic leaders emerged. This hampered the agro-industry value chain as demonstrated by the tea industry which is used as a case in the paper.
The second part of the paper discusses various aspects of democracy in present day Africa and Tanzania in particular. It is urged that there is a need of contextualing a number of tenets governing the democracy practices. For example, it is demonstrated that with the diminished ideological divide among political parties, a pragmatic arrangement in many Africa countries would be to legislate before political election the use of proportional representation rather than the current “the winner takes it all” practice which has been a cause of instabilities after polls in many African countries.
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The influence of Environmental Education towards Behaviour Change in Environmental Conservation
Elisa N. L. Pallangyo and Jeremiah N. Kirway
Abstract:
The study to assess the influence of environmental education towards behaviour change was carried out in the villages adjacent to Uluguru South Mountain Forest Reserve where the Uluguru Mountain Environmental Conservation and Management Project (UMEMCP) operates. Information was collected from 110 respondents through questionnaire, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study assessed the impact of environmental education towards behaviour change by observing indicators such as reduced burning forest, timber extract, cultivation near water sources, hunting using fire and whether community is adopting sustainable agriculture. The study noted some significant improvements in all these indicators except in the case of sustainable agriculture. The study further established that community members do not appreciate the role of leaders in conserving the environment. A credit was given to NGOs and other actors for seriously working towards environmental conservation. The study recommends that coverage of environmental education be increased among community members. The use of radio seems to be the most effective than other means of disseminating information. Schools were cited as another reliable channel of disseminating information. Workable strategies like establishing sustainable funds would help in ensuring that the gains realized through NGOs are not wasted after their departure.
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Innovation in the Footwear Sector in Ethiopia and Tanzania: Comparison of Strategies
Joseph Kuzilwa, Andrew Mbwambo, Prosper Ngowi
Tegegne Gebre-Egziabher and Tilahun Teklu
Abstract:
This is a comparative paper on innovation in the footwear sector in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The paper focuses on similarities and differences on innovations in the sector in the two countries and effects of the same on employment and poverty. The paper is informed by two separate researches in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Secondary and primary data sources have been used to inform the researches on which this paper is based.
It is documented that footwear firms in the two countries do undertake various kinds of innovations. They undertake process, product, markets and technological innovations. Drivers of innovations in the two countries are more or less similar but of differing intensities. The key determinant of innovation includes competition from imports. Innovations in order to solve raw materials constraints are more pronounced in Tanzania than in Ethiopia. Innovations in order to meet export market requirement are more pronounced in Ethiopia than in Tanzania. Compared to the situation in Tanzania, the Ethiopian government seems to have done more to facilitate and support innovations in the sector. Generally, larger firms seem to have greater innovation capability than their smaller counter parts in the two countries. Innovations have enabled firms to survive and create employment. Strikingly however, the firms in the two countries have not been able to alleviate poverty amongst its workers in general terms.
Generally, it is concluded that innovations are taking place in the sector. The sector has contributed to employment creation but not to poverty alleviation. Policy and decision makers therefore are advised to support innovations in the sector so that it can realize its full developmental potentials in general and its expected roles in employment and poverty alleviation in particular.
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