Titre : | Public Private Partnerships in Water and Electricity in Africa | Type de document : | texte imprimé | Auteurs : | Emmanuelle AURIOL ; Aymeric BLANC | Editeur : | Agence Française de Développement (AFD) | Année de publication : | 2007/january | Collection : | Working Paper n°38 | Importance : | 31 p. | Langues : | Anglais | Mots-clés : | ELECTRIFICATION RURALE CONSOMMATION D'ENERGIE ACCES A L'EAU POTABLE ALIMENTATION EN EAU AFRIQUE | Résumé : | The paper analyzes the costs and benefits of private participation in the electricity and water industries in Sub- Saharan Africa. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the participation of private unregulated firms in the supply of services for the middle class and poor is fairly common in the region. This private involvement reflects the extreme weakness of African governments. By contrast, service to the rich is provided by public utilities. Theory then suggests that prices should be high, so that the public firms make a profit. Yet piped water, and to a lesser extent electricity, are heavily subsidized. This signals a problem of capture by the ruling elite. It is a matter of justice and efficiency to increase public utilities revenues to subsidize investment and fiscal relief. This is especially relevant in electricity, where the economies of scale are much larger than in water. Electrification is the biggest challenge to the African economy because it requires huge investment. Local and regional private investors can play a non-negligible role in reducing penury. However, their involvement is conditional on the financial health of the sector and on strong government commitment. | Permalink : | http://enda-cremed.org/bpd/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=16066 |
Public Private Partnerships in Water and Electricity in Africa [texte imprimé] / Emmanuelle AURIOL ; Aymeric BLANC . - [S.l.] : Agence Française de Développement (AFD), 2007/january . - 31 p.. - ( Working Paper n°38) . Langues : Anglais Mots-clés : | ELECTRIFICATION RURALE CONSOMMATION D'ENERGIE ACCES A L'EAU POTABLE ALIMENTATION EN EAU AFRIQUE | Résumé : | The paper analyzes the costs and benefits of private participation in the electricity and water industries in Sub- Saharan Africa. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the participation of private unregulated firms in the supply of services for the middle class and poor is fairly common in the region. This private involvement reflects the extreme weakness of African governments. By contrast, service to the rich is provided by public utilities. Theory then suggests that prices should be high, so that the public firms make a profit. Yet piped water, and to a lesser extent electricity, are heavily subsidized. This signals a problem of capture by the ruling elite. It is a matter of justice and efficiency to increase public utilities revenues to subsidize investment and fiscal relief. This is especially relevant in electricity, where the economies of scale are much larger than in water. Electrification is the biggest challenge to the African economy because it requires huge investment. Local and regional private investors can play a non-negligible role in reducing penury. However, their involvement is conditional on the financial health of the sector and on strong government commitment. | Permalink : | http://enda-cremed.org/bpd/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=16066 |
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