“This issue of the SADC Barometer examines
the obstacles preventing the region from utilising effectively the infrastructure
it has and building what it needs.
The main article in this issue warns that
SADC lacks a comprehensive plan for filling
the potholes and putting the trains back
on track.Other articles consider the importance of discussing trade facilitation within the WTO; the lessons that other SADC member states can learn from Zambia’s rail
privatisation experience; the advantages
and limitations associated with the privatisation of ports in SADC; the importance of information and communication
technology to regional development; and water as a strategic resource. While the focus is on transport infrastructure,
two articles in this edition acknowledge
the importance of financial and
social infrastructure to development. We
also report on the SADC summit in Dar
es Salaam in August 2003, and assess
Tanzania’s ability to lead SADC from the front.”
