2010年-世界发展银行全球_Cape_Verdes_Infrastructure___A_Continental_Perspective_33页_1mb

Cape Verde's Infrastructure: A Continental Perspective Summary

Core Content

This report provides an overview of Cape Verde's infrastructure status and challenges, placing it within the broader context of African infrastructure development. It is part of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project aimed at understanding and improving infrastructure across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Main Points

Infrastructure Spending and Cost Challenges

• Cape Verde spends approximately $147 million annually, or 15% of GDP, on infrastructure, one of the highest levels in Africa.
• Spending is heavily skewed toward capital expenditure, with a significant portion allocated to transport.
• $50 million per year is lost due to inefficiencies, primarily in the power sector, such as underpricing and operational inefficiencies.

High Infrastructure Costs

• The country's geographical isolation and small population contribute to high infrastructure costs.
• Power prices exceed $0.40 per kWh, and water tariffs are around $4.43 per cubic meter, among the highest in Africa.
• ICT service prices are about 50% higher than regional benchmarks.

Infrastructure Performance

• Despite its high spending, Cape Verde's infrastructure services are underutilized due to high costs.
• Electricity and water consumption are below middle-income levels.
• Roads, ports, air transport, power, water and sanitation, and ICT are the main sectors analyzed.

Regional and Continental Comparisons

• Infrastructure improvements in West Africa have contributed 0.9 percentage points to per capita growth.
• If West Africa improved its infrastructure to the level of Mauritius, per capita growth could increase by 2.9 percentage points.
• Cape Verde's infrastructure challenges are unique due to its archipelago geography and limited natural resources.

Key Infrastructure Sectors

Roads

• Achievements:
  • High road density, with 1,607 km of roads in total.
  • Around 73.7% of the national road network is paved.
  • A road maintenance fund was established in 2006 to ensure funding for preservation.
• Challenges:
  • At least 50% of the national road network is in poor condition, with some islands like Santiago reporting 74.5% in poor condition.
  • The road agency lacks the capacity and experience to manage construction projects, despite managing them in 2007.
  • Maintenance costs are high due to the extension of the network to low-density areas.

Ports

• Achievements:
  • All nine islands have ports, with three (Praia, Porto Grande, and Porto da Palmeira) handling international traffic.
  • Container traffic increased at an average annual rate of 20% from 2004 to 2006.
• Challenges:
  • Port performance is below regional standards, with 16 days average container dwell time in Mindelo compared to 7 days in Dakar.
  • Vessel pre-berth waiting time is 24 hours in Mindelo versus less than 3 hours in Abidjan.
  • The government is considering a shift from a service port model to a landlord model, delegating frontline operations to the private sector.

Air Transport

• Achievements:
  • A well-functioning airport network with access to international security standards.
• Challenges:
  • Subsidies to Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV) continue, which may hinder long-term financial sustainability.
  • Inter-island ferry services have been privatized, but delays are still a concern for both residents and tourists.

Power

• Achievements:
  • High electrification rates, with 70% of the population having access to electricity.
• Challenges:
  • High power prices and unreliable supply.
  • The multiutility ELECTRA has operational inefficiencies and high distribution losses.
  • The country relies on imported diesel, making power generation costly.

Water and Sanitation

• Achievements:
  • 70% of the population has access to utility water.
  • Desalination provides 85% of water supply due to water scarcity.
• Challenges:
  • High water tariffs.
  • Low access to improved sanitation.
  • ELECTRA's inefficiencies affect both power and water services.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

• Achievements:
  • Market liberalization has been completed.
  • ICT coverage and penetration are relatively good.
  • Access to submarine cable (Atlantis 2) and plans to connect to WACS.
• Challenges:
  • ICT service prices are 50% higher than regional benchmarks.
  • Enhanced competition is needed to reduce prices.

Financing and Policy Considerations

• Private participation has been relatively open, especially in the power and water sectors.
• ELECTRA has a minority private ownership.
• The government is exploring private sector involvement in ports and aviation, though no decisions have been made yet.
• Donor support and multidonor trust funds are critical to financing infrastructure, given the country's high costs and limited resources.

Methodology and Data

• The AICD project covers 48 Sub-Saharan countries and uses data from 2001 to 2006, with 2007–2009 data for progress measurement.
• Indicators are standardized for cross-country comparison, which may differ from routine national reporting.
• The report includes interactive data tools and customized reports available at www.infrastructureafrica.org.

Conclusion

Cape Verde's infrastructure is well-developed relative to its middle-income status, but the high costs and inefficiencies remain major challenges. The report emphasizes the need to improve service quality, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency through policy reforms and better financing mechanisms. It also highlights the importance of private sector involvement and regional integration for sustainable development.