Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience
Ethiopia has integrated Special Economic Zones (SEZs), named Industrial Parks, as the central element of its industrial policy over the past decade. This study investigates the Ethiopian experience with SEZs with a focus on the interaction of state actors with non -state acto...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Addis Ababa University
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6409/5026 |
| _version_ | 1797817698430746624 |
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| author | Amanuel Tesfaye |
| author_facet | Amanuel Tesfaye |
| author_sort | Amanuel Tesfaye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ethiopia has integrated Special Economic Zones (SEZs), named Industrial Parks, as the central element of its industrial policy over the past decade. This study investigates the Ethiopian experience with SEZs with a focus on the interaction of state actors with non -state actors including investors and laboursin the development of its industrial parks. The central objective of the paper is to investigate how state actors and institutions evolved to shape and structure the deployment of Industrial Parks as an instrument of industrial policy in Ethiopia. The research is qualitative and based on secondary data and documentary evidence including published literature, government policy documents, legislations, regulations, and openly accessible information from local and international organizations. Process tracing is employed to systematically trace the evolution of policy, institutional, and regulatory frameworks. The primary finding of the study is that while the Ethiopian state has demonstrated considerable learning in the development of its industrial parks and managed to integrate the strategy well into its industrial policy, it lacks leverage over transnational capital to enforce technology transfer and create linkages within the local economy. This is compounded by a weak domestic private sector and disillusioned labour, which complicates efforts to improve productivity and foster local ownership. These two challenges might derail the effort to leverage industrial parks for broad-based transformation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:57:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-532a72d3ee384d3184a7249fe545bae4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1810-4487 2520-582X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:57:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Addis Ababa University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-532a72d3ee384d3184a7249fe545bae42023-05-28T12:18:45ZengAddis Ababa UniversityEthiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities1810-44872520-582X2021-12-011722553Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian ExperienceAmanuel Tesfaye0Lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Relations, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityEthiopia has integrated Special Economic Zones (SEZs), named Industrial Parks, as the central element of its industrial policy over the past decade. This study investigates the Ethiopian experience with SEZs with a focus on the interaction of state actors with non -state actors including investors and laboursin the development of its industrial parks. The central objective of the paper is to investigate how state actors and institutions evolved to shape and structure the deployment of Industrial Parks as an instrument of industrial policy in Ethiopia. The research is qualitative and based on secondary data and documentary evidence including published literature, government policy documents, legislations, regulations, and openly accessible information from local and international organizations. Process tracing is employed to systematically trace the evolution of policy, institutional, and regulatory frameworks. The primary finding of the study is that while the Ethiopian state has demonstrated considerable learning in the development of its industrial parks and managed to integrate the strategy well into its industrial policy, it lacks leverage over transnational capital to enforce technology transfer and create linkages within the local economy. This is compounded by a weak domestic private sector and disillusioned labour, which complicates efforts to improve productivity and foster local ownership. These two challenges might derail the effort to leverage industrial parks for broad-based transformation.http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6409/5026industrial policyspecial economic zonesindustrial parksethiopia |
| spellingShingle | Amanuel Tesfaye Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities industrial policy special economic zones industrial parks ethiopia |
| title | Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience |
| title_full | Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience |
| title_fullStr | Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience |
| title_short | Special Economic Zones as Instruments of Industrial Policy: The Ethiopian Experience |
| title_sort | special economic zones as instruments of industrial policy the ethiopian experience |
| topic | industrial policy special economic zones industrial parks ethiopia |
| url | http://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/EJSSH/article/view/6409/5026 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amanueltesfaye specialeconomiczonesasinstrumentsofindustrialpolicytheethiopianexperience |