Privatization and alternative public sector reform in sub-Saharan Africa : delivering on electricity and water

It is increasingly apparent that the privatization experiment in sub-Saharan Africa has failed. This book shows that the state is set to dominate service delivery for the foreseeable future in much of the region, and that the public sector must be considered as a viable policy option for the delivery of water and electricity. it is increasingly apparent that the privatization experiment in sub-Saharan Africa has failed. This book shows that the state is set to dominate service delivery for the foreseeable future in much of the region, and that the public sector must be considered as a viable policy option for the delivery of water and electricity After more than a decade, it is increasingly apparent that the privatization experiment in SSA has failed. There has been little interest from investors and the few contracts that have been signed have been difficult to maintain. This is even recognized by the World Bank which was largely behind the privatization movement. This book documents the growth in privatization in the delivery of water and electricity in SSA over the 1990s and 2000s, showing how numerous governments have gone to considerable lengths in an effort to attract investors into these sectors. The book dismantles the theoretical and empirical arguments to show that the donor-driven growth in privatisation was based on little substance beyond frustration with the state. The book goes on to reveal that what is considered to be a new approach is the same policy modified to increase the likelihood of it being implemented rather than the radical rethink that is required Front Matter....Pages i-xx Introduction and Overview....Pages 1-10 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 Privatization’s Shaky Theoretical Foundations....Pages 13-30 Privatization in Practice....Pages 31-54 Rethinking the Rethink: The World Bank and Privatization....Pages 55-87 Water and Electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa....Pages 88-122 Front Matter....Pages 123-123 Ghana: Privatization — A Work in Progress....Pages 125-150 Tanzania: From Nationalization to Privatization — and Back?....Pages 151-180 Zambia: The Commercialization of Urban Water and Sanitation....Pages 181-207 Namibia: Lessons from Commercialization....Pages 208-234 Conclusion and Alternatives....Pages 235-248 Back Matter....Pages 249-268