The future of structural reforms in Latin America is under discussion. The purpose of this document is to synthesize the facts and opinions that underlie this debate. The first section shows that although the reform process has not ground to a halt, it has been incomplete and uneven, both across...

The objective of this paper is to use opinion polls to document Latin Americans' increasing discontent with reforms and to explore possible explanations for this trend. We test four possible explanations for the rejection of reforms. The first focuses on a change in political orientation. The...

This paper investigates the effects of political (mis)alignment on public service delivery when mandates are shared between state and local governments. We analyze sewage treatment policies in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Relying on difference-in-differences estimations, we establish a...

Als onderdeel van de technische samenwerking "Energiebesparing voor de Caraïbische Drinkwater en Afvalwaterbedrijven" heeft het "Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initative (SECCI)" van de IDB een regionale methodologie ontwikkeld om de energie-efficiency en het onderhoud van...

Als onderdeel van de technische samenwerking "Energiebesparing voor de Caraïbische Drinkwater en Afvalwaterbedrijven" heeft het "Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initative (SECCI)" van de IDB een regionale methodologie ontwikkeld om de energie-efficiency en het onderhoud van...

In the last decade, Belize has seen major improvements in access to water, but it is behind in achieving universal access to improved sanitation facilities. Belize has also made progress in terms of the disposal of solid waste in the central and western regions, including in the largest urban...

While privatization of water, electricity, transport and communications infrastructure continues to gain momentum in Latin America, its success often depends on whether countries implement the reforms essential to attract private investment. This book analyzes the legal, regulatory, economic and...

Power sector reforms across Latin America in the 1990s based on privatization, liberalization, and market forces were largely unavoidable. This book argues that while there is no turning back from this process, many reforms may not prove sustainable without further efforts to build a stronger...

During the last decade, Latin American countries have brought about important reforms in infrastructure services based both on private sector participation for enhancing internal efficiency and competition for increasing consumer welfare. Infrastructure services have evolved from monopoly and...

This book provides a detailed microeconomic analysis of the impact of various privatizations in different countries in the region. Its central message is that in many cases, contrary to popular belief, society as a whole and in particular the poor have benefited from privatization. The book...