Rwandan agriculture strategy unlikely to be replicated

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
National Level ◽  
National Development ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Vision 2020 ◽  
East African ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Income Status

Subject Rwandan agricultural interventions. Significance On May 15, the IMF completed its latest Article IV consultation and review with Kigali, predicting a return to growth of 6.2% per annum. According to the Fund, the main driver of this rebound is the agricultural sector, which is rapidly recovering from a severe drought in 2015-16. President Paul Kagame’s ambitious national development plan, Vision 2020, aims for the country to achieve middle income status by 2025, with transformation of the agricultural sector crucial to this. Impacts The government’s drought response will boost Kagame’s popularity among poorer rural households. However, if Kagame steps down after his next term in office, this could create disorder across many sectors. National-level disaster responses will prove more effective than their East African Community (EAC) equivalent.

How do public companies respond to national challenges through sustainability reporting? – The case of Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinithi Dissanayake ◽  
Carol A. Tilt ◽  
Wei Qian
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
National Level ◽  
National Development ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrative Social Contracts Theory ◽  
Reporting Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainability reporting is shaped by the global influences and particular national context where businesses operate. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses both content analysis of published sustainability information and semi-structured interviews with corporate managers to explore how sustainability reporting is used to address unique social and environmental challenges in a developing country – Sri Lanka. The use of integrative social contracts theory in investigating sustainability reporting offers novel insights into understanding the drivers for sustainability reporting practices in this particular country. Findings The findings reveal that managers’ perceptions about usefulness of sustainability reporting, local contextual challenges and global norms influence the extent to which companies engage in sustainability reporting and the nature of sustainability information reported. In particular, Sri Lankan company managers strive to undertake sustainability projects that are beneficial not only to their companies but also to the development of the country. However, while company managers in Sri Lanka are keen to undertake sustainability reporting, they face different tensions/expectations between global expectations and local contextual factors when undertaking sustainability projects and reporting. This is also showcased in what is ultimately reported in company annual reports, where some aspects of sustainability, e.g. social, tend to focus more on addressing local concerns whereas other disclosures are on issues that may be relevant across many contexts. Research limitations/implications Important insights for government and other regulatory authorities can be drawn from the findings of this study. By capitalising on the strong sense of moral duty felt by company managers, policymakers can involve the business sector more to mitigate the social and environmental issues prevalent in Sri Lanka. The findings can also be used by other developing countries to enable pathways to engage with the corporate sector to contribute to national development agendas through their sustainability initiatives and projects. Originality/value While the usual understanding of developing country’s company managers is that they try to follow global trends, in Sri Lanka, this research shows how managers are trying to align their responsibilities at a national level with global principles regarding sustainability reporting. Therefore, this paper highlights how both hypernorms and microsocial rules can interact to define how company managers undertake sustainability reporting in a developing country.

scholarly journals Sierra Leone

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (218) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
National Development ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Solid Base ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Income Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
Capital Development

The Government of Sierra Leone’s new Medium-term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2019–2023 has been founded on a strong political commitment to deliver devel-opment results that would improve the welfare of Sierra Leone’s citizens. The plan charts a clear path towards 2023 en route to the goal of achieving middle-income status by 2039 through inclusive growth that is sustainable and leaves no one behind. For the next five years, the Free Quality School Education Programme is the government’s flagship programme to provide a solid base to enhance human capital development and to facilitate the transformation of the economy.

East African regional relations face a period of flux

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
East African ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Nile Basin Initiative ◽  
African Community

Significance This may have a profound effect on East Africa’s two main regional blocs -- the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the East African Community (EAC). Impacts Trade tensions fuelled by incompatible COVID-19 strategies could ease after Burundi and Tanzania changed tack. Tanzanian re-engagement could help reinvigorate stalled regional infrastructure projects. Ethiopia may try to revive region-wide Nile Basin Initiative water talks, partly to isolate Egypt, partly to restore its own standing.

The adoption of renewable energy (RE) enterprises in the UK

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurelian Mbzibain ◽  
Graham Tate ◽  
Ali Shaukat
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
National Level ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Profile ◽  
Regulatory Institutions ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how national institutional structures affect farmers’ intentions to invest in renewable energy enterprises in the UK agricultural sector. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on the construct of national institutional profile to identify the regulatory, cognitive and normative institutions affecting entrepreneurial intentions. A postal questionnaire survey of 2,000 farmers was carried out in the West Midlands Region of the UK and 393 usable responses were obtained. Principal component analysis and multivariate data analysis techniques are employed. Findings – Cognitive institutions were positively related to intentions. Contrary to expectations, the regulatory institutions were not associated with entrepreneurial intentions. Normative institutions were significantly related to intentions and interestingly, moderated the efficacy of regulatory institutions on entrepreneurial intentions. Practical implications – Cognitive and normative institutions may play a far more important role in determining farm entrepreneurship in the renewable energy sector than has been previously considered. Given that much of policy research is often biased towards regulatory institutions, this research shows that the construct of institutional profile offers a useful framework to investigate the effect of national level institutions on entrepreneurship. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship in the UK farm sector. It is the first study that demonstrates the role of the country’s institutional profile on farmers’ intentions to invest in RE. The existence of moderation effects between national institutions suggests that research focusing on single dimensions is likely to provide biased results.

Isolation and drift mar Kenya's foreign policy outlook

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Security ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
East African ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
External Relations ◽  
Oil Export ◽  
African Community ◽  
The Eu

Subject Outlook for Kenya's external relations. Significance Last week, Uganda overrode its oil pipeline agreement with Kenya by agreeing a rival deal with Tanzania in a major setback for Kenya's ambitions to lead economic integration in the East African Community (EAC), while boosting its own oil export plans. It comes amid several other external challenges, notably the deputy president's case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and overspill from the Somali conflict. Impacts Deals signed during the president's visit to Israel will likely result in skills and technology transfer to improve Kenya's water security. Recent US airstrikes against an al-Shabaab training site in Somalia will boost the AMISOM mission. However, the EU decision to cut AMISOM funding by 20% will pose longer-term difficulties unless regional states find substitute funding.

Burundi crisis is set to escalate

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East African ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
African Community ◽  
Financial Contributions

Significance Violence has increased significantly since President Pierre Nkurunziza was inaugurated in August. The country is under growing international spotlight as fears are growing that the crisis is adopting an ethnic dimension. However, there are more important factors shaping the chances for escalation. Impacts Nkurunziza is unlikely to take on the East African Community (EAC) chairmanship as scheduled at end-November, disrupting regional protocol. The EAC's budget faces strain as Burundi fails to clear its financial contributions and donors consider pulling some funding. Refugee flows from Burundi will rise, straining existing tensions with neighbouring states.

Early oil could stabilise Uganda’s economy

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Convergence Criteria ◽  
East African ◽  
Tax Base ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Public Investments ◽  
Community Convergence ◽  
African Community ◽  
Near Term

Subject Uganda economic outlook. Significance Economic growth could improve to 5.8% in 2018, aided by a recovery in private consumption and increased spending on oil-related and public investments. However, the mounting external debt burden amid the US Federal Reserve’s interest-rate tightening cycle could pose near-term challenges, as the shilling’s weakness compounds the government’s growing debt-service obligations. Nevertheless, if managed well, these concerns should ease once oil begins to flow. Impacts Stubbornly high commercial lending rates despite lower policy rates pose the greatest impediment to long-term sustainable growth. The climbdown on potentially lucrative mobile money taxes suggests reluctance to widen the tax base at the risk of social unrest. Currency interventions will be limited by East African Community convergence criteria requiring reserves worth 4.5 months of imports.

Kenya-Tanzania tensions will simmer

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
East African ◽  
Trade Disputes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
African Community

Significance The trade disputes are emblematic of the difficult relationship between Nairobi and Dodoma, which has been aggravated in recent years by mutual recriminations alleging interference in one another’s elections. These tensions are shaped by deeper rivalries between the two countries, as a rising Tanzania seeks to challenge Kenyan political and economic dominance. Impacts The Tanzanian president’s quick congratulations to Kenyatta, before Odinga has conceded, may take some heat out of interference claims. The East African Community (EAC)'s failure to end the bilateral trade rows will damage its claims to be able to resolve internal disputes. Tensions will slow EAC integration, making plans for currency integration even more remote.

Uganda-Rwanda tensions will inflame regional relations

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Consensus Building ◽  
African Union ◽  
East African ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Border Trade ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
African Community

Subject Uganda-Rwanda bilateral relations. Significance Rwanda and Uganda have held a series of meetings aimed at defusing tensions following a string of controversial deportations of Rwandans from Uganda. The highest profile saw Rwandan President Paul Kagame meet Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on the sidelines of the African Union Summit on January 28. Following the discussion, exchanges of hostile rhetoric have eased. However, relations remain fragile, and the recent friction has inflamed deep-seated antagonisms. Impacts Regional crises in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could become a further point of contention. Uganda-Rwanda frictions may hamper consensus-building in the already-divided East African Community. A spike in tensions could impact cross-border trade and tourism.

Regional energy schemes will expand in East Africa

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
National Development ◽  
East African ◽  
External Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Cooperation ◽  
Regional Energy ◽  
Sufficient Energy ◽  
Political Cooperation ◽  
Development Plans

Subject East Africa energy cooperation. Significance As East African governments look to further ambitious national development plans, the single greatest barrier they face to achieving their goals is a lack of sufficient energy. To close this gap, major new investments are being made in energy production and transmission infrastructures, including cross-border cooperative projects. Impacts New projects will expand energy availability but are unlikely to keep pace with growing needs. Efforts to reach energy self-sufficiency will help to mitigate future shocks in external energy markets. Regional energy cooperation has the potential to stimulate wider regional social and political cooperation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document