Water reforms in developing countries: management transfers, private operators and water markets

Water Policy ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 573-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slim Zekri ◽  
K. William Easter
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Water Markets ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Water Charges ◽  
The Government ◽  
Lease Contracts

This paper analyzes the irrigation management transfer (IMT) experience in four middle-income developing countries and explores the links for private sector participation in providing water service and irrigation management. The four countries considered in the analysis are Mexico, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia. The IMT program was successful where farmers had their water rights established, farms are medium and large scale with good access to markets and the government had a strong political willingness to empower users. The IMT programs that focused mainly on farmers' participation and empowerment through Water User Associations (WUA) have not been very successful. Private sector management has proved a feasible alternative in a number of countries. Experiences from Australia, China, France and Mali show that the private sector can efficiently manage irrigation systems and collect water charges, even in the absence of formal WUAs. Two additional alternatives could be of interest for irrigation schemes; these are management contracts and lease contracts. Another alternative would be to reform public entities and create new models that can ensure efficiency and transparency. The establishment of water rights is key in many cases since it guarantees access to water. The water rights are most effective in improving water use when allocated to farmers rather than to the private/public operator. After the establishment of water rights, farmers will have an incentive to organize in order to obtain better service. The paper also provides an overview of different types of water markets where private operators may play the intermediate role between willing buyers and sellers of water based on information obtained through the management of the network.

scholarly journals Nepal: Food Security, a Localized Institutional Irrigation Perspective on Public Irrigation Systems

2012 ◽  
pp. 95-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upendra Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Irrigated Area ◽  
Social Insecurity ◽  
The Government ◽  
Agriculture Extension

Oriental philosophers have given top priority to food for orderly state affairs as well as personal wellbeing. In past, Nepal had a strong agricultural economy based on indigenous Farmer Managed Irrigation System (FMIS). State policy helped promote these systems. But contemporary Nepal opted for state control on irrigation water by building large scale public irrigation systems. In the last 43 years of planned development (1957-2002), the government has spent 70% of US$1.3 billion on these systems, covering 30% of the irrigated area in the country; the remaining 70% is with the FMIS. Despite the investment, these systems neither promoted themselves as an enterprise nor helped enhance agricultural productivity leading to social insecurity. This social insecurity is reflected in the country's increasing import of food, mass workforce exodus for employment abroad, and added socio-economic vulnerability due to climate change.Donor and government recommendations centered on (i) expansion of irrigated area, (ii) irrigation management transfer, and (iii) agriculture extension seem to have failed in Nepal. These failures asked for alternative institutional development solutions, whereas public irrigation systems are (i) localized to establish system's operational autonomy with ownership and governance, (ii) treated as a rich resource-base with water, land and labor, and (iii) recognized as cooperative enterprise of local stakeholders by law with authorities to enter into joint actions with relevant partners for promoting commercialization and environmental quality of irrigated agriculture.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v11i1.7223 Hydro Nepal Special Issue: Conference Proceedings 2012 pp.95-99

scholarly journals SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AS IT RELATES TO TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR IN SIDS: A CASE STUDY IN TRINIDAD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Wright ◽  
Trevor Townsend
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Revealed Preference ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
Transportation System ◽  
Transportation Policy ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Government ◽  
Bus Service

The objective of this research was to analyse the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and the travel behaviour of Trinidadians. Many studies have shown that a relationship exists between the socio-economic and sociodemographic characteristics of an individual and their travel patterns. A better understanding of this relationship can influence transportation policy decisions and therefore, aid in improvement to the overall transportation structure. This understanding of travel behaviour is of particular importance in developing countries and SIDS, where there is limited geographical space, economic constraints and an influx of competitive unregulated paratransit modes into the transportation system. Trinidad, like other developing countries and SIDS, has a public transportation system that is dominated by paratransit modes. More notably, there is increasing penetration of illegally operated paratransit modes, that are aggressively competing in the market and gaining a lot of traction. Data was collected in January 2018 using a revealed preference survey of commuters’ work-based tours in, Trincity, a middle-income housing area with good highway and public transportation access. Results showed that income, age, distance from workplace and gender all affect the likelihood of public transport usage as a primary mode of a work tour and there were gender-based differences in the incidence of walking as part of the tour. Additionally, although most public transportation users considered the government bus service as the safest and illegal paratransit services as the least safe, the usage of such services was more than five times that of the bus. The research points to important service and policy actions which need to be taken to encourage and support shifts to more sustainable modes.

Explaining Public-Private Partnership Projects through Political Factors: An Assessment of Developing Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 003232172110403
Author(s):  
Noemí Peña-Miguel ◽  
Beatriz Cuadrado-Ballesteros
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Political Competition ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
The Government

This article analyses the effect of political factors on the use of Public Private Partnerships in developing countries. According to a sample of 80 low- and middle-income countries over the period 1995–2017, our findings suggest that Public Private Partnership projects are affected by political ideology, the strength of the government and electoral cycles. Concretely, they tend to be used by left-wing governments to a greater extent than governments with other ideologies. Public Private Partnerships also tend to be more frequently used by fragmented governments and when there is greater political competition. There is also some evidence (although slight) on the relevance of the proximity of elections in explaining Public Private Partnerships in developing countries.

Housing Policy Across the United States

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin M. Szylvian
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Housing Policy ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Ronald Reagan ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Housing ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
National Association ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Government

Federal housing policy has been primarily devoted to maintaining the economic stability and profitability of the private sector real estate, household finance, and home-building and supply industries since the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945). Until the 1970s, federal policy encouraged speculative residential development in suburban areas and extended segregation by race and class. The National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors, and other allied organizations strenuously opposed federal programs seeking to assist low- and middle-income households and the homeless by forcing recalcitrant suburbs to permit the construction of open-access, affordable dwellings and encouraging the rehabilitation of urban housing. During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan, a Republican from California, argued it was the government, not the private sector, that was responsible for the gross inequities in social and economic indicators between residents of city, inner ring, and outlying suburban communities. The civic, religious, consumer, labor, and other community-based organizations that tried to mitigate the adverse effects of the “Reagan Revolution” on the affordable housing market lacked a single coherent view or voice. Since that time, housing has become increasingly unaffordable in many metropolitan areas, and segregation by race, income, and ethnicity is on the rise once again. If the home mortgage crisis that began in 2007 is any indication, housing will continue to be a divisive political, economic, and social issue in the foreseeable future. The national housing goal of a “decent home in a suitable living environment for every American family” not only has yet to be realized, but many law makers now favor eliminating or further restricting federal commitment to its realization.

The Employment of Foreign Labor in Japan

1991 ◽  
Vol 513 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
HARUO SHIMADA
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
International Migration ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
Foreign Workers ◽  
Immigration Control ◽  
Foreign Labor ◽  
The Government

The problems of foreign labor in Japan have become increasingly serious economically, politically, and socially in recent years. In response to increasing labor shortages and high wages in Japan, ever larger numbers of foreign workers are entering Japan and illegally engaging in unskilled work under poor working conditions. The amended law of immigration control was put into effect on 1 June 1990, strictly prohibiting the entrance of foreigners for unauthorized work while opening doors more widely for highly skilled and knowledgeable workers. This article first briefly reviews the recent penetration of the Japanese labor market by foreign workers and then discusses potential merits of international migration of workers as well as likely demerits or dangers associated with the spontaneous influx of foreign workers into Japan under the current institutional and social conditions. The article finally proposes a large-scale work and learn program jointly administered by the government and private sector as a policy remedy to maximize the merits, and to minimize the demerits, of accepting foreign workers.

scholarly journals The Role of Medicine Pricing Policy for Improving the Affordability of Medicines

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Yusi Anggriani
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Price Competition ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Pharmaceutical Product ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Pricing Policy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Bargaining Position ◽  
Medicine Prices ◽  
The Government

Medicine is a pharmaceutical product that has imperfect market characteristics. This affects affordability to the community, and therefore it is necessary for the government to regulate medicine prices. Medicine prices can be regulated in the medicine supply chain by the industry, importers, distributors and health facilities such as pharmacies, hospitals and medicine sellers. Developed and high income countries generally regulate the prices of medicines and are part of a health insurance system. In contrast with the situation in developed countries, medicine pricing regulation in developing countries and Lower Middle Income Countries is not well established. The regulation of mark-ups in distribution channels is the most common strategy used by LMIC. Small country with only a few pharmaceutical facilities has a weak bargaining position, generally the government cannot set prices. The application of cost-plus pricing is quite effective if it is implemented in a small country. In developing countries with a large market segment and adequate pharmaceutical industry facilities the price competition method is an effective strategy option to get lower prices. In practice, the application of  medicine pricing policy is dynamic. The medicine pricing system in a country can be changed or combined with other methods if the evaluation does not provide optimal results or generates unintended impacts.

scholarly journals Is the Private Sector more Productive than the Public Sector?

1991 ◽  
Vol 30 (4II) ◽  
pp. 721-729
Author(s):  
Khwaja Sarmad
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public Investment ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Total Production ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

In developing countries the rapid growth of the public sector during the past few decades was viewed as an important means for accelerating the pace of economic growth. In most developing countries the public sector now accounts for a prominent share of total production and investment. But the contribution of the public sector to growth has been much below expectations. In many cases public enterprises require large subsidies from the government and impose a significant fiscal burden on the economy, which leads to the notion that the private sector is much more productive than the public sector. However, little empirical work has been done in this field so that the proposals that emphasize the private sector vis-a-vis the public sector rest largely on theoretical considerations. Recent work by Khan and Reinhart (1990) is an important exception. Using cross-section data for the seventies of 24 developing countries they show that the arguments favouring the private sector in adjustment programmes have empirical support. Khan and Reinhart estimate a growth model in which the effect of private and public investment on growth is separated. A comparison of the marginal productivities of the two types of investment allows them to conclude that "all in all, there does seem to be some merit in the key role assigned to private investment in the development process by supporters of market -based strategies". [Khan and Reinhart (1990), p. 25.]

New Kazakhstan privatisations will interest investors

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Foreign Minister ◽  
Economic Recovery ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Foreign Investors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Privatisation Programme ◽  
The Government

Subject Potentially interesting IPOs in Kazakhstan. Significance On November 24, Kazakhstani Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Volkov said that a new round of large-scale privatisations would help stimulate the development of the private sector. Given that the price of oil is likely to stay low for some time, optimisation of public spending is a key priority for Astana. The government's planned exit from state-owned enterprises should also bolster the latter's management and profitability. Impacts The privatisation programme may enable the government to refocus efforts on economic recovery. Corruption will remain a principal obstacle to the successful implementation of privatisation plans. Proximity to political influencers will be a valuable asset for foreign investors keen to partake in the privatisation drive.

scholarly journals Building State Capacity: Evidence from Biometric Smartcards in India

2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (10) ◽  
pp. 2895-2929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Muralidharan ◽  
Paul Niehaus ◽  
Sandip Sukhtankar
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
State Capacity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
The Government ◽  
Antipoverty Programs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New System

Antipoverty programs in developing countries are often difficult to implement; in particular, many governments lack the capacity to deliver payments securely to targeted beneficiaries. We evaluate the impact of biometrically authenticated payments infrastructure (“Smartcards”) on beneficiaries of employment (NREGS) and pen sion (SSP) programs in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, using a large-scale experiment that randomized the rollout of Smartcards over 157 subdistricts and 19 million people. We find that, while incompletely implemented, the new system delivered a faster, more predictable, and less corrupt NREGS payments process without adversely affecting program access. For each of these outcomes, treatment group distributions first-order stochastically dominated those of the control group. The investment was cost-effective, as time savings to NREGS beneficiaries alone were equal to the cost of the intervention, and there was also a significant reduction in the “leakage” of funds between the government and beneficiaries in both NREGS and SSP programs. Beneficiaries overwhelmingly preferred the new system for both programs. Overall, our results suggest that investing in secure payments infrastructure can significantly enhance “state capacity” to implement welfare programs in developing countries. (JEL H53, H55, I32, I38, J65)

scholarly journals A Summary of the Developments Regarding the Economic Regime Implemented in Developed and Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özlen Hiç
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Public Investments ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Regime

Since the developments regarding the economic regime in developed countries follow a different path as opposed to those in developing countries, in this article, these two groups of countries will be examined separately. Priority will be given to investigating the economic regime in developed countries due to historical and theoretical reasons. Today, both in developed and developing countries the economic activities basically are taken up by the private sector; nevertheless the government contributes to these activities through intervention, guidance, protectionism, and investment. Still the level of government intervention, protection and public investments in developed countries appears to be at the minimum. The role of government in developing countries, on the other hand, seems to be more significant; the gravity of the government’s role depends on the degree of development for the countries concerned. In the countries where the level of development is low, the role of government increases, that is to say, the improvement in development decreases the role government.

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