Conformed Copy - C2248 - Agricultural Development Support Project - Amendment
Legal Dept of World Bank
Utility managers, policy makers and advisors, that were participating in the Abidjan workshop held a special Round Table meeting to discuss the issues and challenges that confront them in the provision of WSS services to the poor. Some of the The Round Table conclusions are as follows. Part of the problem in serving low-income areas is the haphazard manner in which developments in some African cities have taken place. Governments should, therefore, place greater emphasis on planning, and define appropriate and specific standards for low income settlements that will permit the provision of basic affordable services. Legal status, whether permanent or temporary, should be given to informal and peri-urban settlements to enable utilities to extend services to them. Utilities should strive towards greater efficiency in their operations, particularly in the area of reducing unaccounted-for-water. Improved efficiency will allow utilities the opportunities to provide services to all customers including those in low-income areas. A number of African governments are undertaking various reforms in the WSS sector. In most cases these have moved slowly and expected benefits are being delayed. It is imperative that governments speed-up these reforms and ensure that they include new policy, legal and institutional arrangements as well as incentives to enable utilities carry out their mandate to serve the urban poor.
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