Policies to Promote Competitiveness in Manufacturing in Sub-Sahara Africa - Summary

Primary commodities dominate African exports, yet these products are extremely vulnerable to variations in weather conditions, world demand and prices. If the continent is to obtain optimum benefit from the integration and opening of the world economy, this heavy reliance on primary products must be reduced. There is, thus, a new and important role for African countries' manufacturing industries. The papers in this volume address three important issues: the role of exchange-rate policy in enhancing the competitiveness of African manufactured exports; the steps that can be taken to improve production efficiency; and the role of institutional and structural reforms in promoting competitiveness in manufacturing and in improving Africa's attractiveness to foreign direct investment. An Epilogue evaluates progress and developments since the conference which gave rise to this volume was held.

Table of Contents

• Preface Mohsin S. Khan, Jorge Braga de Macedo and Delphin G. Rwegasira - - - - - 7
• List of Abbreviations - - - - - 8
• Chapter 1 - Promoting Competitiveness in Manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa
  Saleh M. Nsouli, Augustin Kwasi Fosu and Aristomène Varoudakis - - - - - 9
  

PART I - THE ROLE OF EXCHANGE-RATE POLICY IN PROMOTING COMPETITIVENESS

• Chapter 2 - Can Africa Export Manufactures? Endowments, Exchange Rates and Transaction Costs
  Ibrahim A. Elbadawi - - - - 15
• Chapter 3 - Kenya's Recent Exchange-Rate Policy and Manufactured Export Performance
  Francis M. Mwega and Njuguna S. Ndung'u - - - - - 33
  

PART II - ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRODUCTION FACTORS

• Chapter 4 - Structural Factors Affecting Manufacturing Competitiveness: Comparative Results from Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal
  Adeola Adenikinju, Ludvig Söderling, Charles Soludo
  and Aristomène Varoudakis - - - - - 57
• Chapter 5 - The Role of Trade in Technology Diffusion
  Dalia Hakura and Florence Jaumotte - - - - - 73

PART III - BUILDING AN A PPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT TO PROMOTE COMPETITIVENESS

• Chapter 6 - Competitiveness and Foreign Direct Investment in Africa
  Sara E. Sievers - - - - - 99
• Chapter 7 - Exporting and Efficiency in African Manufacturing
  Arne Bigsten, Paul Collier, Stefan Dercon, Marcel Fafchamps, Bernard Gauthier, Jan Willem Gunning, Jean Habarurema, Abena Oduro, Remco Oostendorp, Catherine Pattillo, Måns Söderbom, Francis Teal
  and Albert Zeufack - - - - - 111
  

PART IV - CONCLUDING COMMENTS

• Chapter 8 - Issues in Competitiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa
  Saleh M. Nsouli - - - - - 125
• Chapter 9 - A Panoramic View of Policies for Competitiveness in Manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa
  Augustin Kwasi Fosu - - - - - 129
• Epilogue Promoting Competitiveness in Manufacturing: A Continuing Challenge for Improving Sub-Saharan Africa's Integration into the Global Economy
  Saleh M. Nsouli and Aristomène Varoudakis - - - - - 135
• Contributors - - - - - 141
  
  

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ISBN: 92-64-18705-7