BLOOD-SUCKING CONTRACTS'

Andrew Coulson

Modern industry has become highly technical, often heavily depending
on research, continuous up-grading and modernisation, requiring high
technical skills and invoved management procedures. In most cases the
challenge of competition in world markets/and of the best possible ser-
vice to the national consumer poses a critical choice between slow and
hopefully progressive development of the Tanzanian industry reduced to
its own pace and left to rely solely on local hired human resources, or of
accelerated development of the highest possible type, which needs the
assistance of world leaders in managerial and technical knowhow and

expertise.?

With these words Mr. Michel Romnicianu, the Director of
Finance and Planning, defended the use of management
agreements.

He explained in the National Development Corporation
(N.D.C.) what he meant: a modern plant cannot be one-man show
— it has to be run by a team; since ‘first quality men’ are employed
by the big companies it is not possible for us to obtain many of
them by direct recruitment; with an agreement either one man or
the whole team can be replaced if necessary; the agreement gives
us access to the most up-to date technical information, the patents
and the brand names, and the marketing and purchasing
arrangements of ‘world leaders in their fields.’

Mr. Romnicianu’s views on training are also of interest. He writes:

One of the primary objectives of management agreements is to
benefit from the expertise of highly competent managers and
technicians, as well as from the technology they bring with them, and

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