New policy of the IDB seeks to promote universal access and to increase efficiency and quality in the provision of public services
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) started on July 3rd the first phase of public consultations on the development of its new “Public Utilities Policy Profile”. The objective of the public consultation process is to receive feedback and comments on the priority areas of the of the Policy’s profile from key stakeholders such as governments, private sector organisms, civil society, policy makers, and experts to enrich the Policy’s content and design.
The objective of this Policy is to guide Bank’s actions to promote universal access and to increase efficiency and quality in the provision of public services in a sustainable, affordable way which contribute to the development process with social inclusion. To promote universal access and to increase efficiency and quality, Bank’s actions should be oriented to promote access to the whole population and to offer a reliable service of adequate quality, under efficient conditions which in turn allow affordable prices, and to give final users incentives to make a sustainable-compatible use of the service. The sustainability of the public services will be promoted along three pillars:
Financial sustainability: the revenues from tariffs, community support and budgetary support should be enough to cover the efficient costs of providing the service.
Environmental sustainability: the selection, execution, operation and maintenance of projects must comply with Bank’s environmental safeguards.
Social sustainability: foster a better access for everyone, without discrimination and incorporating consultation mechanisms on relevant aspects of the services’ provision.
The consultative process will be carried out in two phases: the first one will focus on the Policy’s profile, which lays out its basic concepts and key elements. The second phase, which will be based on the draft of the full Policy, will include inputs received during the first phase upon review and approval by relevant Bank authorities.
To participate in the development of the strategy’s draft profile, visit the consultation’s web page, read the Public Utilities Policy Profile, and complete our online survey. You can also send your comments and ideas at BIDinfraestructura@iadb.org. The consultation will stay open until August 2nd, 2013.