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Dirty aid, dirty water
This action has now closed - thanks to the many people who took part. Read how Pricewaterhouse Coopers responded and our response
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Africa has been awarded a major aid contract by the UK government. The company has been contracted to advise the Sierra Leonean government on the privatisation of 24 state-owned companies, including the public water company in Freetown, the capital city.
The water utility in Freetown needs urgent reform. But before any such reform can take place there must be a full and meaningful consultation process, which looks at all options, including that of keeping water in public hands.
But, PwC Africa has a history of promoting water privatisation in developing countries. Its own website says: “PricewaterhouseCoopers has been providing leading-edge advice on privatisation and project finance to governments and the private sector in Africa Central for over 15 years and we are the market leader in the field.”
Sierra Leone is the world's second poorest country. 57% percent of the population lives on less than 60 pence (or $1) a day. Access to safe drinking water in Sierra Leone may be as low as 28%. |
WDM is worried that PWC Africa cannot be relied upon to run a full, meaningful and even-handed consultation process that fully evaluates all options for Freetown’s public water company.
WDM believes that the UK government should develop an alternative aid package to support the water sector in Sierra Leone, one that prioritises getting clean water to the poor in Freetown and which is developed with real input from civil society in Sierra Leone.
This action has now closed - thanks to the many people who took part. Read how Pricewaterhouse Coopers responded and our response.
More about the contract:
The terms of reference of the contract includes a requirement to conduct a ‘public awareness campaign designed to inform the public about the objectives and benefits of privatisation’. Following a campaign by WDM, the UK government issued a ‘clarification’ stating that the ‘contract is not intended to fund any campaign to promote water privatisation’. Instead the UK government now says that the consultant will conduct a public communications and consultation exercise.
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