Privatisation of Public Utilities and the Poor

This study tries to analyze the effect of the privatization of the electricity sector in Cameroon on the poor drawing from the various literatures on the privatization debate. It addresses government inability to efficiently provide public utilities, due to accountability issues and the absence of competition present in the markets. The effects of privatizing electricity are examine in relation to the changes privatization has had on service quality, changes in price, area of coverage and rate of connectivity and unemployment, as determinants of access of the utility to the poor.These changes are attributed to the profit motive of private firms rather than general welfare and weakness of government regulatory systems to check market abuse.The study suggest pro poor tagetting strategies for private providers and mechanisms to improve public sector efficiency in providing basic utilities like electricity.