Seminar: Udviklingsfremmende Finanspolitik – fokus på Tunesien og Etiopien

Time: Wednesday, 16 March at 13 – 15 hours

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

Background

Time: Wednesday, 16 March at 13 – 15 hours

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

Background

Technological latecomer countries face a dilemma. They are confronted with more severe market failure than mature market economies. Their governments need to pursue proactive industrial policies, not only to compensate for manifold disadvantages vis-à-vis established competitors, but also to integrate the large parts of the workforce currently engaged in fairly unproductive informal activities.

Their institutions, however, are often not in a position to correct market failure effectively, due to capacity constraints as well as neo-patrimonial politics. Do the risks of misallocation outweigh the benefits and should these countries abstain from industrial policies?

Tilman Altenburg will present recent research involving a comparative analysis of seven developing countries. His research findings confirm that selective industry support is frequently used as a source of clientelism and patronage; implementation is often ineffective and focused on incumbent industrial elites.

Nevertheless, two of the surveyed countries with neo-patrimonial traits pursued ambitious agendas of industrial modernisation and implement them fairly effectively: Tunisia and Ethiopia.

Altenburg will discuss what factors distinguish these two countries from the others in the study, and thus what conditions may be more conducive for successfully implementing industrial policies.

SPEAKERS
* Tilman Altenburg, Economic Geographer, Head of department, DIE (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik)
* Lindsay Whitfield, Project Senior Researcher, DIIS

PROGRAMME
12.30-13.00
Arrival and Coffee

13.00-14.00
Industrial Policy in Neo-Patrimonial Societies: Can it be Effective and Pro-Poor? – Tilman Altenburg

14.00-15.00
Open Discussion

Chair: Lindsay Whitfield, Project Senior Researcher, DIIS

The seminar will be held in English.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use the online registration form.

And do so no later than Tuesday, 15 March 2011 at 12.00 noon.

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

Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), The Conference Section, Strandgade 56, 1401 Kbn K, tlf. 32 69 87 51, e-mail: [email protected] og web: www.diis.dk