Economic Reform in Tanzania and Vietnam: A Comparative Commentary

The economic reforms in Tanzania and Vietnam represent the two typical cases of transition economies in Asia and Africa, particularrly the transformation of the two developing economies from the planned to the market mechanism. In this paper, the two authors, Brian - a British economist and Dinh - a Vietnamese economist, have, basing on a comparative approach, enquired into various economic and social aspects of the economic reforms in the two countries, including the demographic transition, the change in population growth, the investment in human capital, the growth of GDP, the structural sransformation, the linkage between gricultural growth, rural development, food production and poverty alleviation, the reform in the industrial sector and the state enterprises, the change of ownership , the role of the State, the capital formation, the role of the domestic savings, foreign aid, investment and trade, the gains and losses from globalisation, with an aim to find the answer to the question why in the two cases, Tanzania seemed to follow the donors’ guidance better than Vietnam, but achieved smaller successes?http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40092/3/wp706.pd

Economic Reform in Tanzania and Vietnam: A Comparative Commentary

The economic reforms in Tanzania and Vietnam represent the two typical cases of transition economies in Asia and Africa, particularrly the transformation of the two developing economies from the planned to the market mechanism. In this paper, the two authors, Brian - a British economist and Dinh - a Vietnamese economist, have, basing on a comparative approach, enquired into various economic and social aspects of the economic reforms in the two countries, including the demographic transition, the change in population growth, the investment in human capital, the growth of GDP, the structural sransformation, the linkage between gricultural growth, rural development, food production and poverty alleviation, the reform in the industrial sector and the state enterprises, the change of ownership , the role of the State, the capital formation, the role of the domestic savings, foreign aid, investment and trade, the gains and losses from globalisation, with an aim to find the answer to the question why in the two cases, Tanzania seemed to follow the donors’ guidance better than Vietnam, but achieved smaller successes?Reform vesus Renovation; Fast Liberalisation vs Step-by-Step Transformation; Privatisation vs Equitisation; Multi-Sector Ownership vs Private Ownership Bias; Industrialisation vs Agriculture-Driven Growth; Active State vs Passive State.

Viet Nam - a transition tiger?

Economic conditions; Economic policy; Vietna

Aid Management and Coordination: Some Dilemmas

SUMMARY What dilemmas arise in managing aid programmes in poor countries with weak administrative structures and great dependence on external finance? This article considers Bangladesh (1984) and Tanzania (1981–84). Section I treats, for Bangladesh, the case against aid sceptically, but many of its arguments raise valid questions. Section II argues that weaknesses are as much administrative practice as policy and doctrine, in part resulting from the proliferation of funding agencies, and requiring improved coordination and standardisation of donor procedures. However, coordination of donor approaches to policy — homogenised leverage — is questionable (Section III). SOMMAIRE Administration de l'aide et la coordination: quelques dilemmas Quels sont les dilemmes liés à l'administration des programmes d'aide dans des pays pauvres, ayant des structures faibles d'administration, et qui sont largement dépendents des finances extérieures? Cet article considère le Bangladesh (1984) et la Tanzanie (1981–84). La section I analyse le cas du Bangladesh d'un ton sceptique, mais beaucoup de ses arguments mènent à des questions valides. La section II nous montre que les faiblesses sont autant dues aux pratiques administratives qu'aux politiques et doctrines, résultant de la prolifération des agences de financement, ce qui exige une coordination améliorée et une standardisation des procédures des donneurs. Cependant, une coordination des approches des donneurs envers une politique — utilisant des forces de levier d'une manière concertée — peut être mise en question (section III). RESUMEN Administración y coordinación de la ayuda: algunos dilemas Este artículo considera los casos de Bangladesh (1984) y Tanzania (1981–84) para examinar los dilemas que surgen en la administración de los programas de ayuda en países pobres con débiles estructuras institucionales y alta dependencia del financiamento externo. La sección I trata escépticamente, para Bangladesh, el caso en contra de la ayuda; no obstante, sus argumentos generan preguntas válidas. La sección II argumenta que las debilidades corresponden tanto a prácticas administrativas como a aspectos de índole política y doctrinaria, que en parte son resultantes de la proliferación de agencias financieras y que se requiere un mejoramiento en la coordinación y normatización de los procedimientos de los donantes. La sección III concluye, sin embargo, que la coordinación del enfoque a una política — instrumental homogeneizado — es discutible

Notas sobre nuevas directrices en materia de planificación

Examina los distintos estilos de planificación económica, destacando que si bien el intervencionismo estatal ha tenido éxito, lo mismo no se puede aducir con relación a los ejercicios globales de planificación