2006年-世界发展银行全球_International_Benchmarking_of_Lesothos_Infrastructure_Performance_12页_374kb

Summary of "International Benchmarking of Lesotho's Infrastructure Performance"

Core Content

This document presents a benchmarking analysis of Lesotho's infrastructure performance across four key sectors—electricity, water and sanitation, information and communication technology (ICT), and road transportation—against a range of comparator countries, including those in the same income group and geographical regions. The analysis is based on a new World Bank database that includes both objective and perception-based indicators of infrastructure performance across over 200 countries.

Main Findings

1. Electricity Sector

• Access: Lesotho has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, with only 6% of the population connected in 2002. This is significantly below the 31% for low-income countries and 15% for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
• Affordability: Residential electricity prices in Lesotho are among the highest globally at 8 US cents/kWh, compared to 6 US cents/kWh for low-income countries and 6/5 US cents/kWh for SSA.
• Quality: The electricity sector serves only a small, privileged segment of the population due to high prices. There is significant room for improvement in terms of access, affordability, and service quality.
• Recent Progress: Access to electricity increased to 11% by 2005 due to the World Bank-financed Lesotho Utilities Sector Reform. However, reaching the 35% target by 2015 requires further efforts.

2. Water and Sanitation

• Access: Lesotho performs relatively well in access to improved water sources, with 76% of the population having access, which is higher than the 65% for low-income countries and 64% for SSA.
• Sanitation: Access to improved sanitation is 37%, which is similar to SSA but slightly below the low-income group benchmark of 41%. More recent data indicate an increase to 53%, suggesting improvement in sanitation coverage.
• Quality: The quality of sanitation infrastructure is generally solid, especially in urban areas. However, wastewater treatment remains a critical challenge, particularly in urban areas.

3. ICT Sector

• Access: Lesotho has a teledensity of 63 per 1000 people, which is slightly above the low-income group average of 64 but well below the 292 of the Middle East and North Africa.
• Mainline Telephony: Mainline teledensity is 16 per 1000 people, which is significantly below the 29 for low-income countries and 31 for SSA.
• Cellular Telephony: Lesotho has 47 per 1000 people, which is higher than the low-income group average of 37 and South Asia at 72, but lower than other regions.
• Affordability: The cost of a local 3-minute call is 22 US cents, which is twice the cost of low-income and SSA countries and four times that of South Asia and East Asia Pacific.
• Quality: Phone faults are very high at 75 per 100 mainlines, indicating poor service quality. Unmet demand is also significant at 73%, suggesting that many people are not connected despite registration.

4. Road Transportation

• Access: Lesotho's road density per population is 3.4 km/1000 people, slightly above the low-income group average of 3.0 but only half the world average of 6.7.
• Quality: Only 18% of roads are paved, which is much lower than the 30% for low-income countries, 25% for SSA, and 50% for the world average.
• Travel Time: Average travel time to work in main cities is 15 minutes, which is among the fastest compared to other regions, but this may be due to the small size of the country and concentration of population around main cities.

Key Comparisons

• Lesotho's infrastructure performance in electricity, mainline telephony, and road quality is well below that of its income group and other regions.
• ICT performance is mixed, with cellular teledensity and call cost to the US being above average.
• Water access is above average, and sanitation access has improved, though still below some regional averages.
• Regional comparisons highlight the need for targeted improvements in infrastructure to support economic growth, poverty reduction, and regional integration.

Policy Implications

• The poor performance in key infrastructure sectors constrains economic growth, competitiveness, and social welfare, especially for the poor.
• These deficiencies may also hinder the development of tourism, trade, and manufacturing sectors.
• Policymakers should prioritize electricity access and affordability, telephony quality, and road infrastructure improvements.
• The analysis should be complemented with more detailed sector studies to guide policy reform effectively.

Limitations and Caveats

• The database has limited indicators for Lesotho, especially in affordability and quality.
• Some indicators may not fully reflect the actual performance due to data limitations and contextual factors.
• Comparative data for rural vs. urban access is limited, but it is likely that rural areas suffer more from infrastructure shortfalls.
• Paved road percentage is an imperfect indicator of road quality, influenced by climatic and environmental factors.

Conclusion

This benchmarking exercise highlights significant infrastructure shortfalls in Lesotho, particularly in electricity, telephony, and road quality, which may impede economic and social development. However, water access and sanitation coverage are relatively stronger, and ICT has shown some progress. The findings suggest that targeted policy interventions are necessary to improve infrastructure performance and support sustainable growth.