ISLAMABAD, June 19: Government experts and officials have returned home with some ideas to improve water supply and sanitation in cities after studying the successful institutional reforms in the sector in the Philippines and Cambodia.

Their 10-day study visit, together with experts from India and Bangladesh, was organized by the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) of the World Bank.

They were provided the opportunity to learn from the successes achieved by the governments and the private sector in the capital cities of Manila and Phnom Penh.

The Manila experience depicted how private sector participation was achieved in a transparent manner by Manila Water Supply and Sanitation System (MWSS).

The efforts resulted in bringing investment and efficiency- raising service delivery standards from low bench marks to higher performance indicators. The driving force in introducing reforms were based on decisions arrived at high level.

The city was divided into two concessionaires — the Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services — for healthy competition. The performance of the former concessionaire was found to be impressive while the later lagged due to some constraints of old water supply network. A regulatory framework was in place providing an enabling environment for the operators to perform.

The Manila visit was a learning experience from the aspects of institutional arrangements, problems facing MWSS as a government corporation in the pre-privatization phase, the transaction process and the role of regulator.

The model of Phnom Penh showed how with the support of the Cambodian government, the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) achieved higher performance standards of services. The campaign to move from intermittent to continuous supply over a period of eight years was achieved due to increase in piped supply coverage from 50 per cent to 99 per cent of the urban areas, now serving approximately 1 million people, reduction in non-revenue water (NRW) from 60 per cent to 25 per cent, pro-poor approach and telemetry system.

Phnom Penh experience also offers a role model of how reforms can be brought about in a public sector institution. This model serves as source of inspiration for other water authorities. The driving force in accomplishment of high service standards was based upon a top-down approach. The head of the authority played key role in the accomplishment of service standards.

Other significant measures adopted in the two cities was the discipline across the water authority, staff motivation to work as a team, higher performance indicators set out, encouragement to employees, consumer-friendly complaint centre, lifting employees morale, training of employees and creation of good working environment.—Huma Khawar