Public backlash over private water deals (Guardian)

[struggle4progress]

John Vidal in Dar es Salaam
Wednesday May 25, 2005
The Guardian

<snip> Water privatisation was meant to solve a world crisis that has left more than two billion people without clean water or sanitation.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the private sector was seen by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and governments like Britain and France as the only way of raising the money needed, and international companies such as Suez, Thames and Biwater, encouraged by the IMF, rushed to privatise the water of the poor.

Many negotiated contracts which gave them monopolies for up to 30 years and guaranteed profits of up to 30-40%. Some companies ended up in the courts, accused of paying bribes to government officials. <snip>

In the past decade there have been riots in Bolivia, after which western water companies were thrown out. There has also been discontent in Trinidad, Argentina, Ghana, South Africa and the Philippines. <snip>

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/development/story/0,15709,1491630,00.html

[Michael_Bush]

1. It is illegal to collect rainwater

in some of the countries because that is competing with the corporation that controls water. That is just sick.

Greg Palast (who I hope has great bodyguards) wrote extensively about this issue and covers it in that infuriating book "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy"

I could only read it in spurts, I would get so angry, and I am/was a moderate.