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Converting Future Gas Revenues Into Pro-poor Development: Approaches, Challenges and Solutions in Tanzania. BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON DC, 20 TH FEB, 2014 HONEST PROSPER NGOWI; pngowi2002@yahoo.com +255 754 653 740; MZUMBE UNIVERSITY, TANZANIA. 1. Introduction/Context.
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Converting Future Gas Revenues Into Pro-poor Development: Approaches, Challenges and Solutions in Tanzania BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON DC, 20TH FEB, 2014 HONEST PROSPER NGOWI; pngowi2002@yahoo.com +255 754 653 740; MZUMBE UNIVERSITY, TANZANIA 1
Introduction/Context • Continuous discoveries of commercial quantities of natural gas and possiblly oil in Tanzania • Over 20 companies on the ground in Tanzania, especially Mtwara, Lindi and Coast regions • National Natural Gas Policy October 2013 • Construction of gas pipeline (530km) Mtwara to Dar • 4th round of exploration bidding in late 2014 • Vibrant debate on various oil and gas issues: CSOs, academia, media, religious leaders, general public
From Revenues to Pro-poor Development: The How Question • Investment in human capital: education, health and other social sectors ... Social security etc • Invest in economic infrastructure of significance to the poor: rural transport & communication infrastructure • Distribution and re-distribution through fiscal measures: pro-poor subsidies & taxation • More pro-poor budgetary allocations
Revenues for pro-poor development • Revenue sharing with local governments: Local pro-poor development expenditure • Direct cash transfer – conditional/unconditional • Capitalization of pro-poor financial institutions – banks, MFIs (eg agric bank for smallholders) • Inter-generational thinking/investments: oil and gas fund • Pro-poor CSRs from investors
Challenges & Solutions • High expectations: Be realistic • Uncertain future revenues: Forecast scenarios • Many promises, Many demands: Prioritize • Decions/agreeents on proportion of income to be consumed, saved and invested • Determining fair share of resources allocation in the short, medium and long term: Strike a balance • Absorption capacity/Inflationary challenges
Challenges & solutions • Resource curse • Revenue volatility: Smooth it, futures contracts • Government capacity to deliver: PPP, but is private sector adequate? • Which group of the poor – Geography (whole country), demographics: age, gender: Consider all
More solutions • Learn from best and bad practices