Public–private partnership (PPP) and water-supply provision in urban Africa: The experience of Congo-Brazzaville

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. This paper addresses the introduction of a public – private partnership (PPP) for water provision in urban Congo. It describes the organisational context before and after PPP and discusses the various outcomes of the partnership, both positive and negative. Despite some promising early results, the PPP arrangements did not develop as planned and the private enterprises ran into financial problems. The role of the political environment in compromising the potential benefits of PPP was important, and the article closes with some policy recommendations in light of Congo's ongoing negotiations with the international financial institutions to secure their assistance for new economic reforms. Introduction This article discusses the dynamics of a public – private partnership (PPP) in urban water supply with special reference to Congo-Brazzaville, and assesses how far PPPs are a viable policy instrument for addressing the inadequacies of state-owned enterprise (SOEs). In Congo, the partnership between an SOE and two private operators was established against a backdrop of major economic reforms. The article looks briefly at why the Government of Congo (GoC) considered privatising water-connection activities, examines some of the PPP arrangements that were applied in this case, and discusses the benefits and obstacles that arose. Finally, the article draws out some conditions under which private-sector participation in providing water services might be appropriate, and it suggests ways to improve PPP policies in the future. The paper is based on the author's research in Pointe-Noire between 1996 and 2001, which included in-depth interviews with representatives from the private-sector companies, several site visits, and informal interviews with customers.