BEST – AC. BEST – AC. the Advocacy Component Ministry of Industries, Trade & Marketing and Private Sector Development Partners 1 March 2012

the BEST-AC project initially 5 th component of BEST programme private sector driven Grant Fund 60 advocacy projects supported to date phase 1: 2004 – 2008 phase 2: 2009 – 2013 donors: Denmark, Sweden, UK, Netherlands

key targets enhance private sector competence to effectively dialogue with government for a more inviting and enabling business environment support private sector participation in national frameworks to reform the business environment e.g. RoadMap

eligible organisations Chambers of Commerce - Industry - Agriculture national - regional - district economic sector membership associations producer associations, cooperations or groups women & youth support organisations (economic focus) civil society organisations supporting private sector

vehicles of achievement grants to support dialogue with government with viable evidence-based arguments grants to enhance capacity and competence of private sector membership organisations capacity-building to trainers & consultants in advocacy and project management skills support for improved business journalism and business advocacy reporting means: surveys, research, training, coaching

type of projects government policy and macro-economy research and private–public dialogue legislative and regulatory frameworks infrastructure - power, water, telecoms access to finance institutional support to PSOs skills training to PSOs and to consultants media sector – business & fiscal journalism

example of ACT project example of ACT project Agricultural Council of Tanzania lack of attractive incentives in agriculture  agriculture remains mostly traditional, peasant-based, characterized by low output low flexibility and slow adjustment to local, regional and global market demands  GDP low, due to dominance agro-sector (70%)  low value addition, such as food processing  export opportunities not fully utilized

results ACT project research findings and stakeholders recommended a set of agric incentives citing best practice in other countries positive reception of report by government   in 2010/2011 govt removed 8 types of taxes, duties and levies in agric sector  in 2010/2011 govt introduced 5 non-tax incentives in agric sector

risk for this ACT success government unexpectedly reintroduced the Business Licenses Act in 2011 as a threshold in formalizing businesses and in terms of cost & administrative burden this has yet unspecified consequences  ACT, HAT and VIBINDO are currently working on measures to counter a negative impact

example of TANEXA project example of TANEXA project Tanzania Exporters Association Tanzanian SMEs have poor access to credit and export guarantee schemes –challenging conditions for access to credit –slow, inefficient processing of credits  SMEs starved of operational capital  export opportunities not fully utilized

results of TANEXA project results of TANEXA project work in progress research has exposed root causes citing best practice in other countries positive reception of report by government   broad consensus obtained  joint private - public sector committee  preparation of proposal for new scheme

ACT : farm-gate cess / subsidized agricultural inputs ATE : skills development levy CTI : cost of power failure HAT : licensing fees RULU Arts : copyright enforcement TAMPA : regulatory environment in dairy sector TCCIA-Arusha : cross-border trade ZACPO : liberalization of clove market other examples of projects

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