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Pastoralists in the Horn of Africa: The Continued Threat of Famine
Get PDFThis paper discusses the current food security crisis in the pastoral areas of the Horn of Africa. It tries to explain the recurrent famines with reference to same important features of pastoralism as a production system, and it outlines some of the effects that development projects have had on such systems. The current situation of the pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa is discussed within a framework of three distinct, but closely interrelated crises:
an ecological crisis
a food security crisis
an institutional crisis
The pa per argues that the problems of the pastoral communities of the Horn mus t be put back on the development agenda and that there is an urgent need for new initiatives and reform within pastoral policy, resource tenure, economic policies and service delivery. The pastoral societies of the Horn of Africa are probably facing the most complex set of issues in their entire history. Failing food security is a vitally important issue but it is necessary to pay renewed attention to a much wider set of problems if pastoral societies are to survive into the next century
Prospects for Tanzania's Mining Sector
Get PDFThe success of Tanzania's structural reform efforts will (inter alia) depend on its ability to generate foreign exchange incomes. Mineral exports seem a promising source of such incomes. Tanzania is reportedly well endowed with minerals, with considerable developments already under way to explore them. Any attempt to make plans for the Tanzanian economy must take this into account. The present paper, which is part of the larger Macmod project, aims to make a contribution towards this end. It seeks to assess the prospects for mining developments in Tanzania during the next few years, and to propose a set of quantitative estimates indicative of these developments. In so doing the focus is limited to the standard economic variables of production and investments
Taxation, aid and democracy. An agenda for research in African countries
Get PDFTaxation, aid and democracy are closely related in poor aid-dependent African countries. The way they tackle the issue of domestic revenue mobilisation significantly influences their potential for economic growth and democratic consolidation. This proposition is based on the reading of historical, political and economic literature, and it forms the general basis for a three-year research programme recently started. Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda are the case countries. The research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of tax systems in African countries. Furthermore, it aims to explore the constraints and options available for policy making on revenue mobilisation and democratisation. This paper presents the general outline of the research programme, and the major areas of research to be dealt with
Liberalization of trade in services and choice of technology in the Norwegian petroleum sector
Get PDFThe petroleum sector is a service-intensive industry. The quality, price and availability of services are therefore important for the productivity level in the petroleum sector. This paper analyzes how intermediate inputs contribute to productivity in the Norwegian petroleum sector and discusses how technical progress and changes in the international trade regime affect productivity and vertical relations between oil companies and their suppliers. It is shown that in a small market, tailor-made inputs and dose vertical relations between the oil companies and their suppliers are the preferred and most cost-effective technology. As the market expands, the relative cost of tailor-made inputs increases, and at one critical point becomes less cost-effective than standardized inputs. A policy implication of the analysis is that the NORSOK policy of enhancing standardization needs to be complemented with a more open market in order to achieve its objectives. The analysis is particularly relevant for oil-related producer services, since this is the market for intermediate inputs that is the least open
The UN and post-crisis aid: Towards a more political economy
Get PDFThis paper reviews certain aspects of the post-crisis problem, as seen from within the UN. It outlines the wide variety in cases that fall within post-crisis policy, and suggests a basis for categorisation, which is crucial for a more systematic learning process. Secondly, it explores the shift in UN responses to post-crisis, emphasising the growing involvement of the UN Security Council and the political departments of the UN in the direct management of post-crisis assistance. This has important implications for the roles of the humanitarian and development actors. Finally, the paper outlines new challenges relating to quasi-legitimate political authorities, learning processes and the relationship with the World Ban
The economic organisation of specific assets
Get PDFIn the international offshore industry we find that the oil companies and their main suppliers usually operate with separate ownership. But the main contractors manage a capital stock, and produce inputs, that are highly specific to the oil companies. Within the traditional theory of the firm this organizational solution emerges as a puzzle. Asset specificity is usually considered as an argument for vertical integration. The idea is that integration reduces the problem of opportunistic behaviour. In this article I show that asset specificity actually can be an argument for separate ownership. While an integrated supplier considers the asset specificity as unimportant for his strategic behaviour, disintegrated parties find that a high degree of specificity makes opportunistic behaviour less profitable than if the assets enjoyed a low degree of specificity. Asset specificity can thus function as a buffer against opportunistic behaviour. This buffer can create room for strong incentive schemes
The Co-operation between Institute og Development Management - IDM (Tanzania) and Agder College (Norway)
Get PDFThis working paper reviews the background and experiences gained in the context of institutional cooperation between IDM in Tanzania and Agder College,
Norway. This co-operation has evolved out of a longstanding relationship between IDM and NORAD. The current co-operation is funded by NORAD, is implemented in the mode of NORAD's "recipient responsibility" and is an example of NORAD's "Norway Axis" strategy.
The specific purpose of the co-opera ti on is to improve research quality and expand research capacity at IDM through joint research projects, as a means to strengthen IDM's position in the Tanzanian market for the training and consultancy servIces.
The two parties have established an elaborate, and apparently successful, structure for an equitable and mutually beneficial institutional co-operation. The research output, however, has so far been limited, but has provided IDM staff with opportunities for gaining research experience and upgrading research competence. To what extent these individual skills are suffcient to make a positive contribution to IDM's market position remain to be seen
Effekter i mottakerlandene av norske petroleumsinvesteringer med hovedvekt på Angola
Get PDFDenne rapporten ser på hvordan norske petroleumsinvesteringer kan bidra til industriutvikling og en jevnere inntektsfordeling i mottakerlandet. Videre ser vi på i hvilken grad norske petroleumsinvesteringer kan være en positiv faktor når det gjelder sosial utvikling, menneskerettigheter, helse, miljø og sikkerhet. Studien konsentrerer seg om norske investeringer i Angola.
Offshore petroleumsvirksomhet er kapitalintensiv og teknologisk krevende. Derfor blir den lett en enklave i land der det ikke finnes en godt utviklet industribase og kvalifisert arbeidskraft. Petroleumsinntektene utgjør en svært høy andel av eksportinntektene og offentlig sektors inntekter samtidig som sektoren skaper relativt få lokale arbeidsplasser. Petroleumsinntektene blir dermed i utgangspunktet konsentrert på få hender. Petroleumssektoren har derfor lett for å føre til høy inntektsvekst i utbyggingsperioden, men lite utvikling. Dette kan motvirkes ved at det blir ført en bevisst utjevningspolitikk og ved at makroøkonomiske virkemidler blir tatt i bruk som hindrer overoppheting i økonomien og som skaper rom for utvikling i privat sektor i fastlandsøkonomien.
Dette er vanskelig generelt, og få oljeeksporterende utviklingsland har lykkes med det. I Angola er det knapt mulig under de rådende forhold med borgerkrig og fravær av fungerende institusjoner.
Rapporten understreker at oljeselskapene kan bidra med kunnskapsoverføring til lokalt ansatte og det lokale statsoljeselskapet. Dessuten kan og bør de bidra til at Angolas ressurser blir utvunnet på en mest mulig effektiv og miljøvennlig måte. Landets sosiale og økonomiske utvikling er imidlertid lokale myndigheters ansvar. Norske myndigheter kan eventuelt bidra med teknisk og økonomisk bistand, men det blir understreket at det bør være en klar rollefordeling mellom myndighetene og oljeselskapene
Local entrepreneurs, networks and linkages to the global economy in Southeast Asia and Africa
Get PDFThis paper was originally prepared for the United Nations University/African Economic Research Consortium Conference on Asia and Africa in the Global Economy, Tokyo, August 2-3, 1998. It was revised in the stimulating environment provided by the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway. Thanks are due to both organisations (and particularly to the CMI librarians) for their support. The usual disclaimers apply
Impact of management scenarios and fishing gear selectivity on the potential economic gains from Namibian hake
Get PDFThis paper develops a model for Namibian hake, which incorporates the biology, gear selectivity and the economies of the hake fisheries in a framework that allows the analysis of fishing gear impacts on the potential economic gains from the resource. The objective is to produce quantitative results on the key variables of the fishery, namely economic rent, standing biomass and catch levels, that will support the optimal sustainable management of one of Namibia's most valuable fishery resources. Outcomes for three management scenarios are produced, (i) command; (ii) cooperative; and (ii) none-operative. For each of these, results are presented for two different assumptions of the economic setting under which the managers of the fishery operate, that is, a fully economic setting and a setting with cost-less labour inputs. As would be expected, different management scenarios and assumptions about the economic setting impact on the results derived from the model in significant ways