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Lessons Learned

Written by: OECD Development Centre

Article Overview: The privatisation process in Africa is still far from complete and has led to mixed results. The successful cases of the Compagnie Ivorienne d’Electricité, Sonatel, and Société d’Energie et d’Eau du Gabon can not hide the dramatic failures.

Lessons Learned

The privatisation process in Africa is still far from complete
and has led to mixed results. The successful cases of the
Compagnie Ivorienne d’Electricité, Sonatel, and Société
d’Energie et d’Eau du Gabon can not hide the dramatic
failures. Most privatisations have been imposed from the
Bretton Woods Institutions – sometimes without taking into
consideration the country’s specificities – and suffered
therefore from a lack of government commitment, which,
in turn, led to significant opposition by the population and
difficult implementation.

Nonetheless, the lessons learned from past privatisations
allow the identification of elements that could contribute to
future success.

• Privatisation should be integrated into other public
policies, in particular to the country’s Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper.
• Privatisation processes should follow proper sequencing,
involving the setting up of well enforced regulation prior
to the divesting phase.
• Privatisation processes should be adapted to the specific
needs of each sector.
• Privatisation reform should involve a constant dialogue
between the different actors engaged (citizens, state,
private sector, and trade unions) in the process, in
order to increase the awareness of the population,
broaden local participation, built support and foster
the state’s accountability.

by Lucia Wegner
Privatisation: A Challenge for Sub-Saharan Africa
This Policy Insights is derived from the special theme section
of the 2003 African Economic Outlook and on a 2004 OECD Development Centre Study

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Article Tags: accountability, actors, african economic outlook, bretton woods institutions, citizens, dialogue, electricit, government commitment, oecd development centre, opposition, policy insights, poverty reduction strategy, poverty reduction strategy paper, private sector, public policies, sonatel, sub saharan africa, taking into consideration, trade unions, wegner



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