Tanzanian President Mbaka:A better way to help the least developed countries

A better way to help the least developed countries
Benjamin William Mkapa IHT Tuesday, July 13, 2004

DODOMA, Tanzania. As a leader of a least developed country, I speak from experience when I say that poverty is too complex a phenomenon, and the strategies for fighting it too diverse and dependent on local circumstances, for there to be one silver bullet in the war on poverty.

We have learned the hard way over the years. We have experimented with all kinds of ideas.

Yet a report recently released by the World Economic Forum shows that barely a third of what should have been done by now to ensure the world meets its goals to fight poverty, hunger and disease by 2015 is done. I am now convinced that the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2000 can only be attained through a global compact, anchored in national policies that take into account local circumstances.

Aid and trade are both necessary, but they are not enough on their own. Neither is good governance enough in itself. Above all, nothing can move without the direct participation of local communities. I fear that we lecture too much. This is not the best way.

All initiatives toward reducing poverty must rest on three pillars: First, there must be political will and good governance in the poor countries. Second, there must be local ownership of initiatives, achieved through direct participatory democracy in setting priorities, planning, implementation and evaluation. Third, the external environment must be not only conducive to the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals, it must actually be supportive through measures such as direct aid - including debt relief - and through enhanced market access and reform of agricultural subsidies in rich countries.

I will give an example of how such a compact worked in Tanzania to achieve universal basic schooling.

In the mid-1990s, almost all indicators for basic education were in free fall. The gross enrollment rate had fallen from 98 percent in the early 1980s to 77.6 percent in 2000. The net enrollment rate had likewise fallen, from over 80 percent to only 58.8 percent. The enrollment of girls fell faster, and dropouts rose higher, than among boys.

Then several things happened. We decided at the top political level that basic education would be a top priority, and adopted a five-year Primary Education Development Plan to achieve universal basic education by 2006 - nine years ahead of the global target.

Good governance produced more government revenues, which quadrupled over the last eight years. In 2001, we received debt relief under the World Bank's enhanced HIPC (heavily indebted poor countries) Initiative. Subsequently, more donors put aid money directly into our budget or into a pooled fund for the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP).

The government's political will was evidenced by the fact that over the last five years the share of the national budget going to poverty reduction interventions rose by 130 percent. We abolished school fees in primary schools.

Then we ensured that all PEDP projects are locally determined, planned, owned, implemented and evaluated. This gave the people pride and dignity in what they were doing. After only two years of implementing PEDP, tremendous successes have been achieved:

Gender parity has been attained in primary schools; The number of children in primary school has increased by 50 percent; The gross enrollment ratio has risen from 77.6 percent to 105.2 percent, the net enrollment ratio has risen from 58.8 percent to 88.5 percent. 31,825 classrooms and 7,530 teachers' houses have been constructed through the direct participation of local communities; 17,851 new teachers have been recruited and 14,852 have been sent to upgrading courses;

More than 9,000 science-teaching kits have been supplied to schools; The pass rate in primary school examinations has risen from 19.3 percent in 1999 to 40.1 percent in 2003; Some 12,689 school committees have been trained to build capacity for local implementation of projects and management of the schools; PEDP implementation has been, and continues to be, predominantly based in the community. All resources are managed in total transparency, with all accounts being posted on the school notice board.

I have written this article to show that it is indeed possible to achieve the Millennium Development Goals if we are all committed to putting the right pillars in place.

We have achieved so much in only two years. Much more will be accomplished by 2006. This is a formula that can work for all the other Millenium Development Goal targets. It can be done if everyone plays his or her part.

Benjamin William Mkapa is president of the United Republic of Tanzania.