Abstract:
Government is hampered with infrastructure backlogs due to financial
constraints and rapid urbanisation exacerbates this challenge. Hence,
public-private partnerships (PPPs) are an emerging financing mechanism
for infrastructure projects given the constraints to government finances and
the inability of municipalities to increase their borrowing due to poor credit
worthiness. PPPs in a simplistic form involve the private sector delivering
public goods and services for a fee. The success of PPPs in some countries
has led governments across the world to explore PPPs as an alternative
funding instrument for infrastructure projects.
Despite the promises of efficiency associated with PPPs as envisaged
by New Public Management (NPM), the implementation of PPPs faces a
myriad of problems. The study found that PPPs are complex, take time to
conclude, the value for money is questioned and they are subjected to political
interference, among other things.
Description:
The article is partly based on a doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof D J Fourie and Dr O
S Madumo, titled: Mandiriza, T. 2021. Assessment of factors influencing the adoption of public
private partnerships in water infrastructure projects in selected municipalities. Uncompleted
doctoral thesis of Public Administration and Management. Pretoria: University of Pretoria. (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/84451)
