Private Infrastructure, Public Risk

This economic policy note presents the dilemma between private infrastructure and public risk. The note examines the fact that, increasingly, governments in many developing countries are relying on the private sector to provide infrastructure services, thus being forced - because of policy shortcomings - to assume risks that private investors should bear. However, through the improvement in policies, such as risk reduction and guarantee improvement, governments can avoid these risks, while attracting private infrastructure investment. Guidelines are provided for allocating risk, where two factors are determined: 1) the degree of influence in the control of such risk; and, 2) the ability to bear risk. However, since these factors may adversely react, other factors are considered as well, such as regulatory, quasi-commercial risks, construction cost risks, in addition to exchange and interest rates risks. The adoption of accrual accounting measures is suggested as a crucial step for the improvement in guarantee management.