ABSTRACT

Industrial policy is enjoying a resurgence. Though the revival of industrial policies has been generally associated with the prioritisation of increasing exports, several African countries have introduced domestically oriented industrial policies. Despite their increased adoption, domestically oriented industrial policies have had limited success. This paper deepens our understanding of contemporary constraints to industrialization by analysing Uganda’s failed attempts at banning used clothes and using public procurement to promote domestic consumption of locally produced goods. Despite acknowledgment of the political constraints of industrial policy in academic and policy circles, the Ugandan government has replicated domestically oriented industrial policies implemented elsewhere, without adapting them to local political realities. This has resulted in significant resistance to industrial policies, which showcase the salience of the legacies of past policies. In particular, the paper highlights how resistance exists within government (from powerful budgetary ministries) and through the competing interests of industrial firms. 

摘要

产业政策正在复苏。虽然产业政策的复苏通常与增加出口的优先顺序有关，但一些非洲国家已经推出了面向国内的产业政策。尽管越来越多地采用面向国内的产业政策，但收效甚微。本文通过分析乌干达在禁止旧衣服和利用公共采购促进本地生产的国内消费方面的失败尝试，加深了我们对当代工业化制约因素的理解。尽管学术界和政策界承认产业政策的政治约束，但乌干达政府复制了其他地方实施的面向国内的产业政策，没有使它们适应当地的政治现实。这导致了对产业政策的重大抵制，这显示了过去政策遗留问题的显着性。这篇论文特别强调了政府内部（来自强大的预算部委）以及工业公司的竞争利益如何存在阻力。