Development Centre Seminars: Reform and Growth in Africa - Summary

What qualifies an economy as "emerging"? The answers provided in this book lead to a fresh conception of the diversity of the African continent. Thus, growth dynamics cannot simply be measured in economic terms. Indicators must also include governance, efficiency and democracy of institutions, and an appropriate climate for business. All these issues are linked to policies, and the outstanding conclusion of this book, in the face of embedded "Afro-pessimism", is that policies do matter for growth; that there is no "African mystery", simply poor policies and bad governance. Reform and Growth in Africa is a contribution to the search for a reversal of the economic plight of African countries, based upon national experience and policy reform. This book reflects the contributions to the first edition of the International Forum on African Perspectives, which was held in Paris in February 2000. The forum was created by the African Development Bank and the OECD Development Centre as an annual meeting place of ideas and strategies from African countries and from the OECD region. The aim of the Forum is to create an area where the knowledge bases of the partners can be combined to exploit their specific advantages in the search for solutions to the economic problems of Africa. The Forum also includes an open meeting where these ideas can be tested in front of a wide audience of people from the worlds of politics, administration, academia, the media and business.

Table of Contents

• Preface: Jorge Braga de Macedo and Omar Kabbaj- - - - - 7
• Opening Remarks: Philippe de Fontaine Vive - - - - - 9
• Keynote Address: Omar Kabbaj- - - - - 13
• Emerging Africa: A Summary of the Debate
  Colm Foy and Andrea Goldstein - - - - - 21
  

PART ONE - VIEWS ON THE REFORM PROCESS

• The Ugandan Reform Experience
  Gerald Ssendaula - - - - - 33
• The Reform Process: A View from Europe
  Uschi Eid - - - - - 39
• The Case for Privatisation
  S.C. Nwokedi - - - - - 47
• Health, Conflict and Globalisation
  Rino Serri - - - - - 55
• The Role of the Private Sector
  Mabousso Thiam - - - - - 59
• The Importance of Financial Stability
  Ismail Hassan Mohamed - - - - - 61
• Rethinking the Euro-African Relationship
  Luís Filipe Marques Amado - - - - - 67
• Challenges Ahead
  Ahmed El Madani Diallo - - - - - 69
• Risks and Opportunities for Investors
  Jean-Louis Terrier - - - - - 73

PART TWO
POLICY A CHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES

• Measuring Reform
  Federico Bonaglia, Andrea Goldstein and Christine Richaud - - - - - 79
• Governance and Growth
  Abdallah Hamdok and Henock Kifle - - - - - 117
• Human Capital Development
  M.N. Hussain, S.S. Moyo, T.W. Oshikoya - - - - - 137
  Simulating the Next 20 Years
• Jean-Claude Berthélemy and Ludvig Söderling - - - - - 163
• Programme - - - - - 191
• List of Participants - - - - - 195
  

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ISBN: 92-64-17644-6