The SADC’s Infrastructure : A Regional Perspective

Ranganathan, Rupa ; Foster, Vivien

关键词: ABUSE OF MONOPOLY POWER;    ACCIDENT;    ACCIDENT RATES;    ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS;    AIM;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-5898
RP-ID  :  WPS5898

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Infrastructure improvements boostedgrowth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)by 1.2 percentage points per capita per year during1995-2005, mainly from access to mobile telephony. Roadnetwork improvements made small growth contributions, whilepower sector inadequacy had a negative impact.Infrastructure improvements that matched those of Mauritius,the regional leader, could boost regional growth performanceby 3 percentage points. SADC's 15 member countriesinclude small, isolated economies with island states, a mixof low- and middle-income countries, and larger countrieswith potentially large economies. The economic geographyreinforces the importance of regional infrastructuredevelopment to create a larger market and greater economicopportunities. The region's infrastructure indicatorsare high for Africa. The regional road network iswell-developed, and surface transport is comparativelycheap, but subject to delays and long-haul fees. Anextensive railway system competes directly with roadtransport. With integration and improvements, SADC'sports could form an effective transshipment network. Airtransport, dominated by South Africa, is the best in Africa.Electricity in southern Africa is well developed; the regionleads Africa in generation capacity and low rates, butaccess is limited. ICT services are the most accessibleamong the regions, though expensive. Landlocked countriesstill need to be connected, and greater competition isneeded to reduce costs. Completing and maintainingSADC's infrastructure will require $2.1 billionannually for a decade. For small countries, and largecountries with small revenues, the burden may beinsurmountable without external assistance.