Strategic arenas for WTO accession:

Public Policy Trajectories that lure in the rewards of

Globalisation to Ethiopian Businesses

Public Lecture – Respublica Litereria - RL Vol XIII No 407 MMXIX

Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD

Professor of Public Policy & Sustainable Institutional Reforms

https://addisababa.academia.edu/CostyCostantinos

Association of African Public Services Commissions’ General Assembly:

Human Resource Development and the Challenges of State Capacity for Service Delivery in Africa: Improving the

Administrative-Political Interface African Union Hall, Oct 28-29, 2014, Addis Ababa, Panel II

Abstract

While Ethiopia has recorded significant achievements in GDP growth, it faces predictable armour of trials rife in poor nations with too few mechanism and wherewithal, while also wrestling with the perennial problem of sequencing policy reforms, all subject to doctrinal reins. Given the very slim boundaries for manoeuvre imposed by abject poverty, deficits and a complex interlace in its political fabric, getting the priorities right are the central issues to be addressed. Using comparative analyses with other African nations that have acceded to WTO accords, the lecture delves into impact of WTO accession on businesses and the requisite preparatory basis of a reform pedestal on which the nation can be a winner in this game. Findings of the research undergird eloquent testimony of complexity and uncertainty theories and func­tioning economic models that Ethiopia can emulate, not only to accede to WTO revised accession regimes, but also to compete successfully in the global arena; underpinning the fact that this can be complex, when reforms are subject to ideological therapy. Hence, managed restructuring of the public sector, establishing institutional capacity for policy analysis, formulation and coordination, regulatory capacity, advancing fiscal sustainability are gleaned as a panacea for change and transformation. Creating a merit based and metric civil service is a basic requirement for competing in the WTO arena to achieve higher allocative and productive efficiency, augmenting private sector share, improving public sector financial health and PPPs.

Key words: WTO, Ethiopia, state right sizing, PPP, meritocracy, markets, private sector, regulation

See paper here or https://www.academia.edu/38213587/Ethiopia_-_Strategic_trajectories_for_WTO_accession_-_AAPSC_Lecture_RL_Vol_XIII_No_407_MMXIX