Will Uganda succumb to the resource curse? Critical reflections

Few resource-rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced significant growth and social transformation. In Uganda, one of the region's newest petro-states, the government favors using revenue to improve infrastructure and generate industrial development. However, there is growing skepticism surrounding this approach. As is highlighted in this paper, concerns about prudent management of oil revenue in Uganda are very real because of the country's degree of vulnerability to a 'resource curse', specifically its weak institutions and governance, social fragmentation, lack of political inclusiveness, and the opacity of Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) signed by politicians and oil companies. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.