Spokes in the wheels of trade reform: an African perspective

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Spokes in the wheels of trade reform: an African perspective
Authors:	Nsanzabaganwa, M. Black, P.A.
Year:	2002
Periodical:	South African Journal of Economics
Volume:	70
Issue:	5
Pages:	900-911
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Rwanda
Subjects:	economic policy trade policy
External link:	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2002.tb00050.x/pdf
Abstract:	Rwanda has recently started to liberalize its domestic economy. There is reason to believe that the Rwandan case may be no different from those of many other developing economies which have stagnated or grown less rapidly than they did during the heyday of import substitution. African countries like Rwanda would seem to find themselves in a Catch 22 situation: conventional wisdom dictates that trade liberalization is at least a necessary condition for achieving sustainable economic growth - and yet available evidence seems to suggest the opposite, i.e. that a strong and growing economy is a prerequisite for a successful policy of trade liberalization. The authors argue that successful liberalization requires a set of conditions that either do not exist in many African countries, or may be difficult to meet. These concern the timing of policies and the sequence in which they are implemented; constraints such as shortage of industrial skills and locational disadvantages; and institutional constraints. Bibliogr. [ASC Leiden abstract]