Sierra Leone's Infrastructure : A Continental Perspective

Pushak, Nataliya; Foster, Vivien

Sierra Leone's Infrastructure : A Continental Perspective

Infrastructure has contributed significantly to the growth of West African economies during the past decade. In Sierra Leone, infrastructure added only around 0.51 percentage points to the per capita growth rate over 2003-07. Similarly to other countries in the region and the rest of the continent, the boost to historic growth came predominately from the ICT (Information and Telecommunications Technology) revolution while power-sector deficiencies and poor roads held back growth. After nine years of peace, economic activity is flourishing at every level in Sierra Leone. Political stability, high government accountability, good governance standards, and streamlined tax reform helped Sierra Leone to become a bright success story, turning the country into the easiest and quickest place to start business in West Africa. Sierra Leone's image in the eyes of investors is strengthened as the country ranked as one of the top five countries in Africa for investor protection. Looking ahead, the country faces a number of critical infrastructure challenges. Perhaps the most daunting of these challenges lies in the power sector, the poor state of which retards development of other sectors. Access to power is very low, at around 1 to 5 percent in urban areas, and is nonexistent in the countryside. The country's installed power-generation capacity is around 13 megawatts per million people, which is lower than what other low-income and fragile states have installed. The entire existing power infrastructure is concentrated in the western part of the country, and even with the functioning of the Bumbuna power plant, only half the suppressed demand for Freetown, let alone that for the rest of the country, is being met. Regardless of recent reduction in tariffs, Sierra Leoneans still pay some of the highest tariffs in Africa. In 2010, Sierra Leoneans paid three times as much for power as did residents of African countries that relied on hydropower. Making investments in more cost-effective power generation options is therefore an important strategic objective for Sierra Leone, without which further electrification will simply be unaffordable for the wider population.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Pushak, Nataliya, Foster, Vivien
Format:	Report biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2011-03
Subjects:	ACCESS ROADS, ACCESS TO ENERGY, ACCESS TO SERVICES, ACCESS TO WATER SUPPLY, AIR, AIR SAFETY, AIR TRANSPORT, AIRCRAFT, AIRPORT, AIRPORT ACCESSIBILITY, AIRPORTS, AIRWAYS, ALLOCATING WATER RIGHTS, AMOUNT OF POWER, ARTERY, AVAILABILITY, BALANCE, BANDWIDTH, BIOMASS, BOTTLENECKS, BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY, CABLE, CAPITAL EXPENDITURE, CAPITAL INVESTMENT, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, CARGO, CARGO HANDLING, CARGO HANDLING CHARGE, CARRIERS, CARS, CASH FLOW, CHEAPER POWER, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILD MORTALITY RATES, COLLECTION OF BILLS, COMPETITIVE MARKETS, CONCESSIONS, COST OF POWER, COST OF POWER PRODUCTION, COST RECOVERY, COST RECOVERY RATIO, COSTS OF FUEL, COSTS OF POWER, CUBIC METER, CUBIC METERS, DEMAND FOR POWER, DIESEL, DIESEL GENERATORS, DISCOUNT RATE, DISTRIBUTION LOSSES, DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, DRINKING WATER, ECONOMIC CRISIS, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE, EFFICIENCY POTENTIAL, ELECTRICAL POWER, ELECTRICITY, ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION, ELECTRICITY SECTOR, ELECTRICITY TARIFFS, ELECTRIFICATION, END USERS, EXTENSIVE REHABILITATION, EXTERNAL FINANCING, FERRIES, FINANCIAL VIABILITY, FISCAL POLICIES, FIXED CHARGES, FIXED WIRELESS, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, FUEL, FUEL CHARGES, FUEL CONSUMPTION, FUEL COSTS, FUEL PRICES, GASOLINE, GENERATING CAPACITY, GENERATION, GENERATION CAPACITY, GENERATION COSTS, GENERATORS, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, GROWTH RATES, HIGHWAY, HOUSEHOLDS, HYDRO PLANT, HYDRO POWER, HYDROELECTRIC POTENTIAL, HYDROELECTRIC POWER, HYDROPOWER, HYDROPOWER GENERATION, HYDROPOWER PLANT, INCUMBENT OPERATOR, INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS, INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING, INFRASTRUCTURES, INLAND WATERWAYS, INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, INVESTMENT COST, INVESTMENT COSTS, INVESTMENT TARGETS, INVESTOR PROTECTION, KILOWATT-HOUR, LEVIES, LICENSES, LOCAL CAPACITY, MAINTENANCE COSTS, MARITIME TRANSPORT, MARKET ACCESS, MARKET CONCENTRATION, MINERAL RESOURCES, MONOPOLY SUPPLIER, MORTALITY RATE, MORTALITY RATES, MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES, O&AMP;M, OIL, OIL FIRM, OIL PRICES, OIL RESERVES, OPEN ACCESS, OPERATIONAL COSTS, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE, PASSENGERS, PAYMENT OF BILLS, PERFORMANCE DATA, PETROLEUM, POPULATION DENSITY, POPULATION GROWTH, PORT CHARGES, POWER, POWER CABLES, POWER COSTS, POWER DEMAND, POWER GENERATION, POWER GENERATION CAPACITY, POWER GRID, POWER PRODUCTION, POWER SECTOR, POWER SHORTAGES, POWER STATION, POWER SYSTEMS, PRICE ADJUSTMENTS, PRIVATE PARTICIPATION, PROVISION OF WATER, PROVISION OF WATER SUPPLY, PUBLIC, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC INVESTMENT, PUBLIC PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC ROADS, PUBLIC SECTOR, PUBLIC SERVICE, PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY, PUBLIC UTILITIES, RAIL, RAILWAY, REGIONAL TRANSIT, REVENUE COLLECTION, ROAD, ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, ROAD MAINTENANCE, ROAD NETWORK, ROAD SECTOR, ROAD TRAFFIC, ROADS, ROUTE, RURAL ROADS, SAFETY, SANITARY FACILITIES, SANITATION, SANITATION COVERAGE, SANITATION FACILITIES, SANITATION STRATEGY, SANITATION UTILITIES, SAVINGS, SERVICE DELIVERY, SHARE OF REVENUES, SPEEDS, SURFACE SOURCES, SURFACE WATER, SUSTAINABLE SANITATION, TAX, TAXATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, THERMAL PLANTS, THERMAL POWER, TOWNS, TRAFFIC LEVELS, TRANSMISSION LINE, TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPORT, TRANSPORT AUTHORITY, TRANSPORT INDICATORS, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT MARKET, TRANSPORT POLICY, TRANSPORT QUALITY, TRANSPORT SECTOR, TRANSPORT USERS, TRUCK PROCESSING, UNDERGROUND, URBAN AREAS, URBAN ROAD, URBAN ROADS, URBAN SANITATION, URBAN WATER, UTILITY MANAGEMENT, VEHICLES, VOICE TELEPHONY, VOLTAGE, WATER COMPANY, WATER CONSUMPTION, WATER DISTRIBUTION, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER RESOURCES, WATER SECTOR, WATER SERVICE, WATER SERVICES, WATER USAGE, WATER UTILITIES, WEALTH, WELLS,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/345051467990934557/Sierra-Leones-infrastructure-a-continental-perspective http://hdl.handle.net/10986/27260
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