Chapter Six:
Implementing the AlternativeIt is certainly not enough to have an African Alternative on paper. It must be put into action. [This] requires the active support and participation of the entire population and their grass-root organizations; the full dedication and commitment of the government ... as well as the support of the international community.
At the national level the activities of government will have to be closely coordinated within it and between it and people's organizations like trade unions, employer's associations as well as non-government organizations. Governments must find ways to yield a measure of authority to localities and community self-management ...
At the subregional level, [there must be] close cooperation between the countries of the region: specialization of industries and specialized production of commodities for foreign markets; pooling of resources for research and industrial development; environmental protection; and, channels for increased intra-African trade. Coordination of consumption as well as production should be high on the agenda. ... It should be stressed that lack of regional cooperation was one factor that bedeviled conventional SAPs. More often than not, exchange rates, interest rates and pricing policies were adjusted at different times and to differing degrees among countries in the same region or subregion, with contradictory impact and, in many cases, with policies in one country nullifying the effect of other policies in a neighboring country.
At the international level, multilateral development and financial institutions as well as bilateral donor agencies will have a useful role in implementing the policies of AAF-SAP. First, the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF should encourage and support programs designed by African Governments to solve specific national problems of economic recovery and transformation. Second, donors should do all they can to respect the development priorities that African countries set themselves. Third, donors should give their assistance at the most favorable terms.
To adjust the ongoing selection of policy mechanisms and get early warning signals of deviations from objectives, programs need to be closely monitored. National, subregional and regional data systems will have to be in place to assess the success or failure of new policies. Statistical indicators of economic growth and financial flows need to be studied, but so do qualitative factors such as the extent to which basic needs are satisfied, political and social vitality and progress in transforming production structures and consumption patterns. National agencies need to become more sensitive to the plight of ordinary citizens, whether this plight is of hunger, disease, ignorance or the inability to educate their children.
Gaining the support of the population, however, will require more than an extensive public relations campaign. There needs to be genuine participation of the people in rebuilding African political economies. This will require that decision-making is democratized at the national, local and grass-roots levels. People will have to be convinced that their leaders are accountable to them and that genuine ... consultations take place at every stage of policy formulation, planning and implementation with local authorities, non-governmental organizations and village and neighborhood associations. ... AAF-SAP offers an opportunity for the leadership of African countries to regain the initiative in getting national development going ahead with the people. ... Its implementation will require perseverance, responsible decision-making, alertness to changing economic conditions and full commitment to genuine democratization.