Civil society statement on Public-Private Partnerships developed during a side event held at the sidelines of the Tanzania – Business Forum to inform the Public Private Partnerships Forum Africa Inaugural Conference in Kampala, Uganda from 16th-18th September 2019.
Civil Society warn EAC governments about the lack of democratic accountability in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) arguing that the new frameworks the lack of transparency decreases democratic accountability and inclusiveness; and curtails the participation of citizens and parliaments to hold the actors in PPP projects responsible regarding who will pay what, to whom, and when, as well as hold them accountable to human rights and environment protection obligations, which are often left out during the contractual process. The high level of secrecy within the PPP frameworks not only undermines government’s capacity to undertake due diligence on a potential private sector partner and to effectively monitor the project’s implementation, also undermines the communities’ involvement in the project. This is despite the fact that a public project just like any other project established within a community also relies on social legitimacy, trust, and credibility for its success.
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