HAITI: Enabling local private sector participation in water and sanitation service delivery in rural areas and small towns of Haiti

Since 2009, Haiti has made significant progress in implementing various decentralized water and sanitation institutional reforms. However, the deconcentrating process remains incomplete as adequate capacities and arrangements are still lacking at subnational levels, and water supply service delivery is far from being financially sustainable, even in urban areas. The activity aims to support the government of Haiti to enable DINEPA Water Utilities to professionalize water piped systems management by engaging private operators. Specifically, utilities need the capacity to monitor the development of the water sector, promote innovative sanitation solutions, and attract private sector participation in water and sanitation service delivery, particularly in small towns. PPIAF provided grant funding to support the utilities in achieving these objectives.

The grant funded technical studies for piloting a PPP transaction in an urban center, Lascahobas, where IFC is serving as the transaction advisor. This work was complemented by a diagnostic of current professional operators that identified key areas where interventions could improve water system management. It also examined the efficiency and performance of the existing management model. Capacity-building workshops helped stakeholders develop tools for improving operator performance.

Participating operators, including OREPA, the regional water and sanitation company, actively participated in the training. This improved their ability to manage customers effectively, allowing them to generate sufficient income to operate, deliver safe water to the population, and maintain the piped water network. Additional support will be needed to build capacity at Haiti’s national water agency, Direction Nationale de l’Eau Potable et de l’Assainissement (DINEPA), and potential operators that may want to bid on the pilot PPP project in Lascahobas.