History_and_recent_events Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_Burkina_Faso

1 history , recent events

1.1 creation of national water utility (1977-1990)
1.2 strengthening of national water company onea during 1990s
1.3 private sector support further strengthen public utility (2001-2006)
1.4 expansion of access , ziga dam (2000s)
1.5 decentralization in rural areas since 2004

history , recent events
creation of national water utility (1977-1990)

until 1977 water services provided private operator, focused on few rich neighborhoods of capital, ouagadougou. contract terminated in 1977. in same year national water company one, name changed office national de l’eau et de l’assainissement (onea) in 1985, took on responsibility urban water supply in country. during first years of existence, marked period of political instability, utility achieved little in terms of expanding access , improving service quality.

strengthening of national water company onea during 1990s

in 1990s government initiated process of restructuring , strengthening national water utility onea, while investing heavily in expanding access assistance of foreign aid. through process utility transformed 1 of successful , efficient water companies in sub-saharan africa. improving cost recovery important element of process: tariffs increased 30% €1 per cubic meter, onea enjoyed healthy financial situation , reported accounting profit. increasing efficiency important element: nonrevenue water declined 16 percent, excellent level regional standards. labor productivity increased reducing number of employees 670 in 1991 570 in 1995 while number of customers increased substantially. furthermore, business procedures modernized through computerized customer billing system, customer relations improved, internal control system fight corruption introduced , laboratory established. mutual responsibilities of public company , government laid out in form of contrat plan setting quantitative targets on number of years, common state-owned enterprises in many francophone countries.

despite these successes of public company, international monetary fund , world bank insisted establishing public-private partnership water supply in burkina faso during late 1990s. 10-year lease contract private french company signed in senegal cited 1 positive example. nevertheless, government rejected option of lease contract, considered far-reaching without rejecting elements of sector reforms initiated in of neighboring west african countries. government adopted aspects considered fit conditions of burkina faso. in vein government initiated sector reforms in 2001 achieve called “a genuine public-public partnership between government , onea.”

an important element of urban sector reform government refrained political interference , established tools objectively , independently monitor performance of onea. in crucial field of cost recovery, financial model of onea developed in participatory manner , applied, allowing government assess progress towards financial equilibrium of onea , providing objective basis further tariff revision requests. government approved requests tariff increases submitted utility , justified outcome of model’s calculations in timely fashion, crucial maintain utility in financial health. government helped strengthen utility not interfering investment , staffing decisions , paying water bills on time.

another element of reform that, unlike , unlike in many other countries public-public performance contracts, existing three-year contrats plans between government , onea subjected periodic independent assessments.

private sector support further strengthen public utility (2001-2006)

another element of urban sector reform decision improve commercial practices of onea through short-term performance-based service contract private company. international bid five-year service contract won french private operator veolia in january 2001, 2 months before world bank’s announcement of new us$70 million credit water supply in ouagadougou. contract covered management of customer service , bill collections on behalf of onea, kept technical operation of system , supervision of contract in hands of public utility. expatriates worked deputies local managers , international operator had advisory role. yet because of performance-based nature of contract, had clear financial stake in success of technical assistance provided. according world bank study, “the staff sent international operator proved seasoned professionals many years of hands-on operational experience.” onea’s commercial performance further improved, although took time. collection ratio decreased during first 2 years , improved afterward, increasing beyond pre contract performance in year three, reaching 93 percent in year 4 , 95 percent in year five. in december 2008 onea became first public water utility in sub-saharan africa is0 9001-certified. world bank today considers onea “a mature corporation, similar in respects private corporation.”

expansion of access , ziga dam (2000s)

in july 2004 president of burkina faso inaugurated treatment plant , pipeline provided water new ziga dam , allowed onea limit water rationing in ouagadougou. dam , associated investments allowed significant increase in water connections in ougadougou, number of house connections more tripling between 2001 , 2007.

decentralization in rural areas since 2004

concerning rural water supply, in 2004 government established policy of decentralization, foreseeing transfer responsibility operating , maintaining rural water systems state local communities. implementation has been slow, picked on time. in march 2009 decree transferred ownership of piped systems in small towns outside onea service area municipalities, in turn contract out operation , maintenance local private operators or onea. according world bank, before decentralization development of rural services suffered overly centralized planning , investment process, bypassed local governments. rural water supply was, , extent still is, characterized diversity of project rules, implementation approaches, , technical options left discretion of financing agencies , ngos.