Political Economy, Development Studies, Governance, Ideology, Good Governance, and 1 more

More Info: Undergraduate Course in the Department of Development Studies at SOAS, University of London

Political Economy, Development Studies, International Development, Economic Growth, Political Economy of Development, and 4 more

In this post, Pritish Behuria highlights the reintroduction of import substitution in Rwanda under the moniker – recapturing the domestic market. He argues that this signals the tentative emergence of Rwanda's develop... more abstractIn this post, Pritish Behuria highlights the reintroduction of import substitution in Rwanda under the moniker – recapturing the domestic market. He argues that this signals the tentative emergence of Rwanda's developmental state, which has previously paid little attention to its domestic manufacturing sector.

African Studies, Political Economy, Development Studies, Textiles, International Development, and 13 more

In order to meet its ambitious solar targets India has sought to boost local production of solar cells. However, Pritish Behuria highlights how it has come up against problems, as America, the WTO and others have rest... more abstractIn order to meet its ambitious solar targets India has sought to boost local production of solar cells. However, Pritish Behuria highlights how it has come up against problems, as America, the WTO and others have restricted the country's ability to develop its domestic manufacturing capabilities. He writes that if solar cell production is to survive in India, much more government action will need to be taken. Last month, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled against India's efforts to boost local production of solar cells, which was a key component of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). The JNNSM aimed to " promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India's energy security challenge " and constituted " a major contribution by India to the global effort to meet the challenges of climate change. " The American government had indicated public support for this mission. However, since February 2013, it had been kicking away the ladder by blocking any Indian attempts to build domestic manufacturing capabilities in the sector. There is an all-too-familiar story of hypocrisy here. One BBC article claimed that the United States did not practice what it preached at home and " half of all US states have subsidies for renewables. " The JNNSM was a way for the Indian government to address its domestic energy deficit and would have helped India achieve its pledge of developing 40 per cent of its renewables by 2030. Though the expansion of India's solar energy sector will continue, priorities including acquiring technological capabilities among domestic producers and reducing dependency on foreign technology have taken a backseat. The JNNSM was launched in 2010 by the Manmohan Singh government. Its initial target was achieving an ambitious target of 22 GW by 2022. The mission adopted a 3-phase approach. Phase 1 concluded in 2013, with the Indian government successfully increasing installed solar energy capacity from 30 MW to 2000 MW. By 2014, the Narendra Modi government has raised targets by 75 per cent by setting the goal of achieving national installed capacity of 15 GW by 2017. By 2016, the government has already secured installed capacity of 5.7GW. Modi also made ambitious plans of reaching 100 GW of installed capacity by 2022 (more than four times the goal set by the Manmohan Singh government). No country has ever expanded its installed solar energy capacity to this extent before. China's solar capacity stands at around 40GW. If targets are met, India will become the biggest solar country in the world. These ambitions have drawn the attention of the business community in India, with several new entrants in the sector. Modi has also spearheaded the establishment of The Global Solar Alliance, which includes participation from 120 countries and industry representatives. As part of the alliance, Bill Gates, Mukesh Ambani, Jack Ma and other investors have backed the establishment of a Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which will act as a vehicle for investing in clean energy projects. Within India, this project is perceived to be a top priority for Modi. He has also received acclaim for previous success in the sector, having supported the establishment of Asia's largest solar park in Gujarat – The Chankara Solar Park.

Indian studies, State Business Relations, Trade and Industrial Policy, India, Solar Energy, and 4 more

Public Administration, Development Studies, International Development, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and 5 more

African Studies, Africa, Trade and Industrial Policy, China and Africa, Global Production Networks, and 4 more

African Studies, International Development, International Trade, Africa, India-Africa relations, and 2 more

Development Studies, Construction, Rwanda, Tourism, and Developmental State

Coffee, Africa, Mining, Rwanda, Trade and Industrial Policy, and 2 more

Political Economy, Development Studies, Violence, International Development, Political Science, and 3 more

Development Studies, International Development, World Bank, Public Sector Reform, Development Studies and Public Policy, and 3 more

African Studies, Asian Studies, Comparative Politics, Political Economy, Development Studies, and 4 more

African Studies, Political Economy, Violence, Genocide Studies, Coffee, and 4 more

African Studies, Regionalism, Regional development, Regional Economics, Regional Integration, and 1 more

African Studies, Africa, Rwanda, Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, and Rwandan Genocide

African Studies, Political Economy, Ideology, African Politics, Rwanda, and 4 more

This paper explores the political economy of growth in Rwanda during two decades of economic expansion under the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). It builds on recent work emphasising the importance of party-owned enterp... more abstractThis paper explores the political economy of growth in Rwanda during two decades of economic expansion under the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). It builds on recent work emphasising the importance of party-owned enterprises in sustaining this progress, but goes further by analysing state-business dynamics in four key sectors of the economy: coffee, mining, construction and financial services. For each sector, the evolution of the ‘deals environment’ (Pritchett and Werker 2012) is detailed and the differential degrees of growth, liberalisation and foreign competition are explained. This detailed sectoral analysis enables us to develop a deeper understanding of how political concerns have affected Rwanda’s economic growth trajectory. The paper argues that while the Pritchett-Werker framework is a helpful starting point, the ‘deals environment’ in Rwanda has not progressed along a linear trajectory from ‘closed disordered’ to ‘open ordered’ deals as posited in the model. Instead, the maintenance of growth has involved the cultivation of carefully protected pockets of ‘closed’ deals in strategic nodes of different sectors. Moreover, the combination of rapid economic liberalisation with politically motivated ‘closed’ deals has led to a degree of continued (or renewed) disorder in some sectors, which may yet threaten growth in the long term.

Political Economy, Development Studies, Economic Growth, Economic Development, African Politics, and 3 more

Violence, State Business Relations, Military and Politics, Rwanda, Sub-Saharan Africa, and 1 more

African Affairs

Publication Date: 2015

Publication Name: African Affairs

Publication Date: 2015

Publication Name: The Journal of Modern African Studies

African Studies, Political Economy of Development, State Business Relations, Rwanda, Trade and Industrial Policy, and 2 more