Feasibility study to determine the potential for the privatization of routine road maintenance in Swaziland

Abstract

Developing countries have spent, and are spending millions of dollars annually in providing road infrastructure as a means of opening up the countryside to foreign investment and thus stimulating the economy for a better future for their citizens. Unfortunately, most of this developmental work is under a threat of deterioration due to inadequate maintenance work that, in turn, is caused by a host of challenges such as poor funding, improper work methods, lack of qualified local contractors on maintenance work, to name but a few of these challenges. This research provides an overview of what developing countries (using Swaziland as an example) can gain from experiences that have been implemented in some parts of the world in trying to address the issue of road maintenance. Several countries, including some in Latin America and Australia,the commonly called Performance-Based Road Management and Maintenance Contracts hold some promise in addressing the question of effective road maintenance and safeguarding the enormous investment undertaken by many developing country’s Governments. The treatise intends showcasing, using Swaziland as an example, what and how developing countries in Africa stand to gain by privatizing routine road maintenance. Finally, the research proposes a roadmap that can be used specifically in developing countries, for upgrading local contractors to the level where they can play a meaningful role in road maintenance. have started to invest in ways of contracting out road maintenance. To this end,