Some decades ago when the whistle was forcibly blown for African countries to race for political independence after series of turbulent nationalists' agitation, a brand of leaders with confusing ideologies sprang up to dictate and plunder the continent. A junk of the left behind colonial "cake" was hijacked by self-imposed, self-styled saviours to form political parties that coalesced in anticipation of independence; and not surprisingly (if not depressingly) they coalesced along regional lines coagulating the most brutal and resource-draining ethnic violence in contemporary times. But while Africa was entangled in the maze of endless crisis in the last decades, South East Asia was experiencing a comprehensive economic growth that puzzled economists and development workers alike. The success of the "Asian Tigers" has led to other development countries also plunging - or forced to plunge for economic liberalisation, thinking that a similar miracle will surely come by. But how were these tiny South East Asian countries able to outwit mineral-crowded Africa? The basic factor in Asia were the fundamental prerequisite for success and are the nucleus of this commentary: an enabling environment; provision of market friendly incentives for national enterprise development and business support services; and fostering linkages between firms on one hand and between firms and other institutions, in particular those on science and technology. Significant to the success of any economy is the existence of political stability and basic accessible education. Before independence, the South East Asian countries, through their religious pundits (Muslim and Buddhists) had already embarked on a civic education campaign aimed at indoctrinating their people with nationalistic and business-like values. Their call was geared towards willingly entrusting political power to society's respected individuals while the rest put hands on deck to foster national development. With this seemingly lukewarm but rather mature and sensible arrangement, political struggles and ethnic violence between the Malay and the Indo-Chinese were greatly averted. This is not to say that South East Asia has a history devoid of skirmishes. Indeed, the region experienced dictatorial regimes with forced labour and dizzy human rights records. Indonesia for instance went through a brutal military coup in 1966 with a period of agonising fear under illegitimate decrees. Singapore had its own share when Lee Kuan Yew monopolised power from 1959-1990, a period in which to be an opponent was tantamount to substituting yourself with the numerous commodious jails. However, these somewhat oppressive times in South East Asia were too mild to prevent investment and rapid economic growth as the conditions for growth were already fortified. Thus, with the guaranteed enabling environment and a vibrant educational system (Asians are the most mathematically minded people on earth), an unceremonious invitation was extended to investors and financially dwarfed companies to take advantage of the cheap labour provided by the productive Indo-Chinese. So as early as 1970, South East Asia was already serving host to a conglomerate of genuine companies. There was no time for political agitation; no time for ethnic violence; no time for rebel incursions. Development was the watchword! With the flooding of potential investors, the economic barometer of South East Asia became promisingly legible. This led their economists to search for suitable economic policies to respond to the needs and aspirations of highly excited investors. The Asian tigers' economic philosophy basically advocated for a relatively equitable sharing of revenue according to the criterion of need. It was a mild disguise of the best portions of socialist and capitalist doctrines. With the visionary splendiferousness of the central banks of Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, coupled with its burgeoning local markets led to the drafting for subsequent implementation, economic and foreign exchange policies that led to rapid economic growth. The savings were later channelled to the banks and the enterprise sector, which was extensively parasitic on debt financing. The availability of credit allowed those with management experience, often acquired from working with a multi-national affiliate, to set up their own small and medium sized enterprises. In order to ensure continuity of the in house economic growth for small enterprises, protectionist measures were put in place with emphasis on the use of local suppliers, who were knotted with larger firms as sub-contractors. This simple and practical arrangement created an appetising avenue for the acquisition of technical skills and technological advancement. But the way in which technology was adopted and capital imported varied from country. While the Republic of Korea was selective in permitting foreign investors, Taiwan did not discriminate between the foreign and domestic investors, except in a few sectors. As the provision of tax incentives and levies promoted in house training in domestic firms, Singapore and Taiwan vigorously embarked on research and development initiatives through granting of tax advantages and other incentives. By way of research and through experience, there was increased capacity to make minor changes, which in turn led to improved productive facilities and eventually significant innovations. Gradually and with growing capacity, the industries were able to respond to the growing competition from world markets. South East Asia soon became strong enough to begin producing for specialised needs and later more sophisticated knowledge-intensive products. As the export market gained momentum, South East Asia acquired the necessary technical and marketing expertise that transformed their economies from ailing dwarfs to the biting mighty tigers of modern envy (until recently that is). The painstaking struggle of the masses, the razor sharp vision of their development workers and economists, coupled with the presence of belligerent and charismatic leaders, made South East Asia's impending economic miracle a shining glitterati bristling with office towers and humming with entrepreneurial energy. However, the rapid and tantalising economic growth of the South East Asian countries during an era of excruciating economic stagnation, has been widely touted as the model for other developing countries precisely so AFRICA. But the enabling environment that parachuted South East Asia from the nadir of poverty to the zenith of prosperity was generally absent in Africa. From the Kalahari desert to the waters of the Nile, and from the creeping Sahara to the tick forest of the Congo's, wars of mammoth scale emerged with velocity and brutality characteristic of a harmattan bush fire. The healthy, the skilled and the intelligent died en masse. Those counted lucky ran helter skelter to seek for refuge thousands of miles from home. The madness that ensued forced many economies to coma. With daily reports of endless rampage of armed "sons" of Africa, the magnetic elements needed to seduce investors became as imaginary as the lines of longitude and latitude. Thus the impending political miracle in Africa painfully bequeathed a volatile economic system presided over by confetti of untried corruption scandals. Albeit the cloudy political atmosphere in Africa, attempts were made by some countries to indegenise industry and to instil an ethic of self-reliance to combat inflation and to counter perceived economic divisions in the continent. Strategies to curb consumption in order to establish a buoyant and durable infrastructure were also tried. A case in point is the often ill-fated policies of Nigeria's military rulers. In the early 1970s. Nigeria doubled the printing of money to enable new rates of pay to public sector employees. This inevitably fuelled inflation without creating any increase in standards of performance. The increase of wages steered industrial unrest in private indigenous industry while inflation gripped the spines of the non-waged agricultural sector. Ironically, in oil rich Nigeria, dawn to dusk queues developed from a single gallon of petrol and other basic food condiments. But sleazy export rates and inadequate mechanisms in a deflationary economic climate has largely dwarfed and seriously limited Africa's foreign exchange earnings especially in corrupt civilian and military dictatorships that have blindly acquired an expensive flare for imported goods. Thus while South East Asia was grooming and breast feeding their economies to become tigers in years to come, Africa was being raped and looted with budgetary cuts in education and health under the deadly masks of worthless economic and political slogans. The available resources that could transform Africa into a dazzling land of unrivalled prosperity are unfortunately being pocketed by some few morally maladjusted leaders-cum-mercenaries. In the meantime, illiteracy reaches frightening heights, while malnutrition, poverty, greed and ethnic violence become institutionalised facets of our cultural set up. The very people expected to be the benchmark for change (the intellectuals) have shown no remorse for this continent married to despondency. By and large, as the race progresses on the information superhighway towards the potentially flashy second millennium. Africa has a herculean task ahead, but more so galloping through foggy moments to come afar with already miles ahead Asian tigers. But as a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, we must take bolds steps, utilise our human and natural resources and ensure a relatively equitable sharing of revenue. But if blunders come by again, we shall sink in atrophy and continue to be beggars until the incomprehensible clamps down His final baton. The ball is in our court. Abou Jeng. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------