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Private Means Better? A Water and Sanitation Quasi-experimental Design

Author

Listed:
  • Arthur Dassan
  • Joelson Oliveira Sampaio
  • Vinicius Augusto Brunassi Silva
  • Rodrigo De-Losso

Abstract

This paper compares water and sanitation services in municipalities that entered into a concession arrangement with a private operator versus those in a comparable control group of municipalities that continued with a public operator, and we explore five variables of interest: (i) water coverage; (ii) sewage collection; (iii) sewage treatment; (iv) average tariff; and (v) water losses. Using an empirical strategy and making improvements over previous literature, after controlling for municipality peculiarities, we adopt a difference-in-differences model with nearest neighbor matching (NNM) to evaluate private sector management impacts on these variables. We find a greater tariff increase in the first four years after a private operator's start after concession. We only identify weak evidence of greater sewage treatment increase in municipalities that change to a private operator and find no relevant or significant results for the other variables. In terms of policy, this paper contributes with the government clarifying the main benefits of privatizing water and sanitation services.

Suggested Citation

  • Arthur Dassan & Joelson Oliveira Sampaio & Vinicius Augusto Brunassi Silva & Rodrigo De-Losso, 2021. "Private Means Better? A Water and Sanitation Quasi-experimental Design," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2021_22, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2021wpecon22
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water and Sanitation; Private sector management; Treatment Effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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