Private Infrastructure and the Inter-American Development Bank Group

This report provides a review of IDB Group activities supporting private participation in infrastructure between 1990 and 1997. It is intended to serve as a reference in the development of its infrastructure strategies. By compiling in a single document all the actions that promote private participation in infrastructure, a better appreciation will be developed, inside and outside the IDB Group, for the contribution it has made and the degree to which more action is required. Section II comments on the financial needs and sources of financing for infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the increasing importance of private financing. Section III is the core of the report, describing IDB Group actions for private infrastructure since 1990. This section is divided in four subsections according to the different fronts of activity as follows: (1) the IDB Group strategy, (2) the lending program, (3) the technical assistance program, and (4) nonfinancial activities. Section IV presents some conclusions and highlights that derive directly from a global overview of the Bank¿s seven year experience. Finally, the Annexes provide summary tables and a brief description of each project.