Title | Water multinationals - no longer business as usual |
Publication Type | Miscellaneous |
Year of Publication | 2003 |
Authors | Hall, D |
Pagination | 15 p. |
Date Published | 2003-03-01 |
Publisher | Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU), University of Greenwich |
Place Published | London, UK |
Keywords | cost recovery, efficiency, government organizations, investment, low-income communities, policies, private sector, sdiman, sdipol, water supply |
Abstract | This paper examines some of the recent activities of the multinational water corporations and the obvious policy implications for those involved in the water sector. For the last decade the supporters of privatisation of water have been able to rely on active multinational companies looking to expand by obtaining water concessions in developing countries. This should have created a circle of capital investment by the companies. It should furthermore have given them greater incentives to efficiency. And ultimately have removed the risk from governments as well as attract further investment form others.
However, none of this has come through. The companies are withdrawing from investment. A remarkable change of policy by the multinationals, which undermines the above assumptions clearly triggered by the risks of actually losing capital. This loss of capital can be the result of guarantees being drawn in, or through companies actually extracting more money than they invest. This paper examines these trends. |
Notes | Notes + ref.: p. 14-15 |
Custom 1 | 202.2, 202.3 |