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Best practices in regulating State-owned and municipal water utilities

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  • Berg, Sanford V.

Abstract

The fundamental lesson that emerges from this survey of regulating state-owned and municipal water utilities in developing countries is that sector regulation has to be embedded in an adequate and consistent institutional framework in order to have a positive impact on performance. Sector regulation, by itself, is no guarantee of performance improvements in the drinking water supply and sanitation sector. Case studies and empirical analyses suggest that without significant changes in the supporting institutions, the standard tools of regulation will not be effective. This conclusion is disturbing, especially for developing countries, since it means that the establishment of a regulatory agency might raise hopes, but ultimately, the agency's rules are unlikely to improve performance without additional, politically difficult initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Berg, Sanford V., 2013. "Best practices in regulating State-owned and municipal water utilities," Documentos de Proyectos 4079, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    • Handle: RePEc:ecr:col022:4079
    Note: Includes bibliography
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mvulirwenande, Silas & Alaerts, Guy & Wehn, Uta, 2016. "Closing the Knowledge-Application Gap in Organisations through Incentives: Experience from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Uganda," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1-9.
    2. Marat S. Tugushev, 2018. "Competence s Theorem: Solving Problems of Water Utilities," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(5), pages 104-112.
    3. Peci, Alketa & D’Assunção, Márcio Leite & Holperin, Michelle Moretzsohn & de Souza, Celso Florêncio, 2017. "Regulation inside government: The challenges of regulating a government-owned utility," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 61-70.
    4. Marques, Rui Cunha & Pinto, Francisco Silva, 2018. "How to watch the watchmen? The role and measurement of regulatory governance," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 73-81.
    5. Gustavo Ferro & Andrea Castellano & Chaz Sardi, 2020. "Políticas Regulatorias Aplicadas a Sectores de Infraestructura en Argentina," CEMA Working Papers: Serie Documentos de Trabajo. 714, Universidad del CEMA.
    6. Olivia Jensen & Namrata Chindarkar, 2019. "Sustaining Reforms in Water Service Delivery: the Role of Service Quality, Salience, Trust and Financial Viability," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 33(3), pages 975-992, February.
    7. González-Gómez, Francisco & García-Rubio, Miguel A. & González-Martínez, Jesús, 2014. "Beyond the public–private controversy in urban water management in Spain," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-9.
    8. Berg, Sanford V., 2016. "Seven elements affecting governance and performance in the water sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(PA), pages 4-13.
    9. Cecilia Tortajada & Francisco González-Gómez & Asit K. Biswas & Miguel A. García-Rubio, 2013. "Editorial," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 297-300, September.
    10. World Bank Group, "undated". "Africa's Pulse, No. 17, April 2018," World Bank Publications - Reports 29667, The World Bank Group.
    11. Camos Daurella,Daniel & Estache,Antonio, 2017. "Regulating water and sanitation network services accounting for institutional and informational constraints," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8149, The World Bank.
    12. Biggar, Darryl, 2022. "Seven outstanding issues in energy network regulation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Marques, Rui Cunha, 2017. "Why not regulate PPPs?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 141-146.

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