Madagascar to privatise running of key utility company

ANTANANARIVO (AFP) Jan 30, 2004
The government of the Indian Ocean island state of Madagascar is to seek a private contractor to manage the national water and electricity company, the ministry for energy and mines said on Friday.

Rodolphe Ramanantsoa, in charge of energy at the ministry, said the government wanted to hand over a contract to run the Jirama utility company for two years to a private operator by the end of this year.

The government was inviting expressions of interest from foreign firms -- because there was no domestic concern large enough to take on the job -- by April 15 this year, he said.

Madagascar, which has a population of some 16 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita gross domestic product of 840 dollars in 2000.

Only 30 percent of the population has access to piped drinking water and just 10 percent to electricity.

The national utility company is deeply in debt and starved of investment.

TERRA.WIRE