Public-private partnerships and urban sanitation: Do expectations meet realities in Madina-Ghana?

Efficient and effective provision of public services is problematic in developing countries. Since the 1980s, there has been an increasing realisation that the state lacks capacity and resources to deliver public goods and services solely. Thus, the private sector has been drawn upon through myriad means to provide these services by injecting capital, expertise, technology, flexibility, and among others. The sanitation sector has recently witnessed Public-Private Partnership between government and Zoomlion Ghana Limited to provide improved sanitation services. But the outcome of private sector provision of public goods has been taken for granted. Thus, the study sought to ascertain the impact of PPP on sanitation in Madina. The evidence is a mixed picture. The highly praised benefits of PPPs are not automatically generated and conventional high expectations were yet to be achieved.   Key words: Ghana, urban, sustainability, partnerships, government, sanitation.