Seminar: Tanzania – Ambitiøse initiativer i produktionssektoren

TIME: Wednesday, 9 November, 14-16

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K

TIME: Wednesday, 9 November, 14-16

VENUE: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, Christianshavn, 1401 Copenhagen K

Like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania has grown rapidly during the last decade. Influential research attributes this to the emergence, across the continent, of new leaderships, increasing democratization, better economic policies, and improved relationship to donors.

A closer look at two major recent state initiatives in Tanzania to support productive sectors – domestic rice production and manufacturing exports tells a different story:

· New leaders largely continue the policy-making styles of the past and continue (for better or worse) to make ideologically inspired decisions

· Ruling elites prioritize winning elections and maintaining coalitions that support them rather than achieving beneficial and widespread economic outcomes

· Most productive sector entrepreneurs are small and poorly organised while the bureaucracy is an important support base for the ruling elite; this gives parts of the bureaucracy a degree of autonomy to implement policies to its own advantage

· Donors may influence policy making but have much less say in implementation Insights from the literature on developmental states and state-business relations help to explain these findings. They emphasize the importance of structural contexts within which state initiatives are decided and implemented. And they help to explain why Tanzania’s recent growth has not reduced poverty significantly and in a sustainable manner.

The presentation will subsequently be published in an expanded version as a DIIS working paper in the EPP sub-series.

Speakers:
Ole Therkildsen, Senior Researcher, DIIS
Jens Kovsted, Senior Advisor, University of Copenhagen
France Bourgouin, Project Researcher, DIIS

Programme:

14.00-14.05: Introduction; France Bourgouin, Project Researcher, DIIS

14.05-14.35: Tanzania – Ambitious Productive Sector Initiatives Implemented by Factionalised Elites; Ole Therkildsen, Senior Researcher, DIIS

14.35-14.50: Comments; Jens Kovsted, Senior Advisor, University of Copenhagen

14.50-15.05: Coffee Break

15.05-16.00: Open Discussion

Chair: France Bourgouin, Project Researcher, DIIS

The seminar will be held in English.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Read more about the seminar and use the online registration form from the website no later than Tuesday, 8 November 2011 at 12.00 noon.

Please await confirmation by e-mail from DIIS for participation.