Public Infrastructure Performance in Developing Countries
Public Infrastructure Performance in Developing Countries

Author: Abdul Ghafoor

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-11-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1040286305

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This title was first published in 2000: An investigation of the performance of the electric power and telecommunication sectors of Pakistan at the firm level as well as the sector as a whole, seeking to identify and quantify the extent of inefficiencies. Since physical or financial or productivity indicators alone are not able to explain the duality of public infrastructure purposes, the financial and productivity indicators have been used in evaluating the performance of these sectors. Further, a Cobb-Douglas production function has also been used to calculate the trend in the growth of total factor productivity. Economies of scale have also been studied in the case of electric power generation. The results of the study show that in Pakistan one of the usual motives for privatization (to avoid the poor financial results of state enterprises) is not relevant for electricity and telecommunications enterprises. This, however, appears to be due to the financial subsidies they received, through access to low cost loan finance and grants, rather than to their efficiency in operations. By the economic criteria of growth of TFP none of the enterprises do well and two have a negative TFP growth. The case for reforming these enterprises is strong and alternative modes of organization, finance and ownership need to be considered.

World Development Report 1994
World Development Report 1994

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780195209921

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World Development Report 1994 examines the link between infrastructure and development and explores ways in which developing countries can improve both the provision and the quality of infrastructure services. In recent decades, developing countries have made substantial investments in infrastructure, achieving dramatic gains for households and producers by expanding their access to services such as safe water, sanitation, electric power, telecommunications, and transport. Even more infrastructure investment and expansion are needed in order to extend the reach of services - especially to people living in rural areas and to the poor. But as this report shows, the quantity of investment cannot be the exclusive focus of policy. Improving the quality of infrastructure service also is vital. Both quantity and quality improvements are essential to modernize and diversify production, help countries compete internationally, and accommodate rapid urbanization. The report identifies the basic cause of poor past performance as inadequate institutional incentives for improving the provision of infrastructure. To promote more efficient and responsive service delivery, incentives need to be changed through commercial management, competition, and user involvement. Several trends are helping to improve the performance of infrastructure. First, innovation in technology and in the regulatory management of markets makes more diversity possible in the supply of services. Second, an evaluation of the role of government is leading to a shift from direct government provision of services to increasing private sector provision and recent experience in many countries with public-private partnerships is highlighting new ways to increase efficiency and expand services. Third, increased concern about social and environmental sustainability has heightened public interest in infrastructure design and performance.

Measuring and Improving Infrastructure Performance
Measuring and Improving Infrastructure Performance

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 0309132568

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The nation's physical infrastructure facilitates movement of people and goods; provides safe water; provides energy when and where needed; removes wastes; enables rapid communications; and generally supports our economy and quality of life. Developing a framework for guiding attempts at measuring the performance of infrastructure systems and grappling with the concept of defining good performance are the major themes of this book. Focusing on urban regions, within a context of national policy, the volume provides the basis for further in-depth analysis and application at the local, regional, state, and national levels.

Infrastructure Economics and Policy
Infrastructure Economics and Policy

Author: Jose A. Gomez-Ibanez

Publisher:

Published: 2021-12

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 9781558444188

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In this comparison of infrastructure across countries and sectors, leading international academics and practitioners consider the latest approaches to infrastructure policy, implementation, and finance. The book presents evidence-based solutions and policy considerations, essential concepts and economic theories, and a current overview.

Public Infrastructure Performance in Developing Countries
Public Infrastructure Performance in Developing Countries

Author: Abdul Ghafoor

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-22

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 1351791842

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This title was first published in 2000: An investigation of the performance of the electric power and telecommunication sectors of Pakistan at the firm level as well as the sector as a whole, seeking to identify and quantify the extent of inefficiencies. Since physical or financial or productivity indicators alone are not able to explain the duality of public infrastructure purposes, the financial and productivity indicators have been used in evaluating the performance of these sectors. Further, a Cobb-Douglas production function has also been used to calculate the trend in the growth of total factor productivity. Economies of scale have also been studied in the case of electric power generation. The results of the study show that in Pakistan one of the usual motives for privatization (to avoid the poor financial results of state enterprises) is not relevant for electricity and telecommunications enterprises. This, however, appears to be due to the financial subsidies they received, through access to low cost loan finance and grants, rather than to their efficiency in operations. By the economic criteria of growth of TFP none of the enterprises do well and two have a negative TFP growth. The case for reforming these enterprises is strong and alternative modes of organization, finance and ownership need to be considered.

The Infrastructure Finance Challenge
The Infrastructure Finance Challenge

Author: Ingo Walter

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2016-11-21

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1783742968

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Infrastructure and its effects on economic growth, social welfare, and sustainability receive a great deal of attention today. There is widespread agreement that infrastructure is a key dimension of global development and that its impact reaches deep into the broader economy with important and multifaceted implications for social progress. At the same time, infrastructure finance is among the most complex and challenging areas in the global financial architecture. Ingo Walter, Professor Emeritus of Finance, Corporate Governance and Ethics at the Stern School of Business, New York University, and his team of experts tackle the issue by focussing on key findings backed by serious theoretical and empirical research. The result is a set of viable guideposts for researchers, policy-makers, students and anybody interested in the varied challenges of the contemporary economy.

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author: Mr.Dhaneshwar Ghura

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 1995-12-01

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 1451855753

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The paper investigates empirically the determinants of economic growth for a large sample of sub-Saharan African countries during 1981-92. The results indicate that (i) an increase in private investment has a relatively large positive impact on per capita growth; (ii) growth is stimulated by public policies that lower the budget deficit in relation to GDP (without reducing government investment), reduce the rate of inflation, maintain external competitiveness, promote structural reforms, encourage human capital development, and slow population growth; and (iii) convergence of per capita income occurs after controlling for human capital development and public policies.

Infrastructure and Land Policies
Infrastructure and Land Policies

Author: Gregory K. Ingram

Publisher: Lincoln Inst of Land Policy

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 9781558442511

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More than 50 percent of the global population resides in urban areas where land policy and infrastructure interactions facilitate economic opportunities, affect the quality of life, and influence patterns of urban development. While infrastructure is as old as cities, technological changes and public policies on taxation and regulation produce new issues worthy of analysis, ranging from megaprojects and greenhouse gas emissions to involuntary resettlement. This volume, based on the 2012 seventh annual Land Policy Conference at the Lincoln Institute, brings together economists, social scientists, urban planners, and engineers to discuss how infrastructure issues impact low-, middle-, and high-income countries. Infrastructure drives economic and social activities. For urban areas, the challenges of balancing economic growth with infrastructure development and maintenance are reflected in debates about finance, regulation, and location and about the sustainable levels of infrastructure services. Relevant sectors include energy (electricity and natural gas); telecommunications (phone lines, mobile phone service, and Internet); transportation (airports, railways, roads, waterways, and seaports); and water supply and sanitation (piped water, irrigation, and sewage collection and treatment). Recent research shows that inadequate infrastructure is associated with income inequality. This is likely linked to the delivery of infrastructure services to households, such as direct health benefits, improved access to education, and enhanced economic opportunities. Because so much infrastructure is energy intensive, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative impacts must address services such as electric power and transport. Bringing the management of infrastructure up to levels of good practice has a large economic payoff, and performance levels vary dramatically between and within countries. A crucial unmet challenge is to convince policy makers and voters that large economic returns can result from improving infrastructure performance and maintenance.

Africa's Infrastructure
Africa's Infrastructure

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2009-12-01

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0821380834

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Sustainable infrastructure development is vital for Africa s prosperity. And now is the time to begin the transformation. This volume is the culmination of an unprecedented effort to document, analyze, and interpret the full extent of the challenge in developing Sub-Saharan Africa s infrastructure sectors. As a result, it represents the most comprehensive reference currently available on infrastructure in the region. The book covers the five main economic infrastructure sectors information and communication technology, irrigation, power, transport, and water and sanitation. 'Africa s Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation' reflects the collaboration of a wide array of African regional institutions and development partners under the auspices of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. It presents the findings of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project launched following a commitment in 2005 by the international community (after the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland) to scale up financial support for infrastructure development in Africa. The lack of reliable information in this area made it difficult to evaluate the success of past interventions, prioritize current allocations, and provide benchmarks for measuring future progress, hence the need for the AICD. Africa s infrastructure sectors lag well behind those of the rest of the world, and the gap is widening. Some of the main policy-relevant findings highlighted in the book include the following: infrastructure in the region is exceptionally expensive, with tariffs being many times higher than those found elsewhere. Inadequate and expensive infrastructure is retarding growth by 2 percentage points each year. Solving the problem will cost over US$90 billion per year, which is more than twice what is being spent in Africa today. However, money alone is not the answer. Prudent policies, wise management, and sound maintenance can improve efficiency, thereby stretching the infrastructure dollar. There is the potential to recover an additional US$17 billion a year from within the existing infrastructure resource envelope simply by improving efficiency. For example, improved revenue collection and utility management could generate US$3.3 billion per year. Regional power trade could reduce annual costs by US$2 billion. And deregulating the trucking industry could reduce freight costs by one-half. So, raising more funds without also tackling inefficiencies would be like pouring water into a leaking bucket. Finally, the power sector and fragile states represent particular challenges. Even if every efficiency in every infrastructure sector could be captured, a substantial funding gap of $31 billion a year would remain. Nevertheless, the African people and economies cannot wait any longer. Now is the time to begin the transformation to sustainable development.