Providing Basic Utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Why has Privatization Failed?

PRIVATE sector; INVESTMENTS; PUBLIC sector; ECONOMIC reform; WATER utilities; ELECTRIC power production; WORLD Bank Group; UNITED Nations

The article discusses the reasons for the failure of privatization efforts in the electricity and water sectors of sub-Saharan Africa. The authors emphasize the shift in World Bank Investment from the public sector to the private sector in the past decade. They argue that the push for cost recovery in areas of low income and deteriorating infrastructure is not sustainable. They suggest that the solution is increased investment in public sector utilities with greater attention to poverty reduction and good governance policies. They present several examples of countries which have fallen short of United Nations Millennium Development Goals.