Public-Private Partnership in Local Governance: The Case of Tema Metropolitan Assembly

Abstract

This study focused on Public-Private Partnerships in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. The main objective of the study was to investigate, describe and explain the factors that influenced the implementation of public-private partnership in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. Specifically the study focused on waste collection and revenue mobilization. Effective implementation of public-private partnership in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly depends on a number of factors which includes Policy Objectives, communication and enforcement activity, policy resources and administrative structures. To achieve the above objective the study adopted the qualitative method and a case study approach to interview eighteen (18) respondents using an in-depth interview technique. The study found that Public-private partnerships in waste collection and revenue mobilization have been generally successful although there is more room for improvement. Implementation challenges such as poorly assigned responsibilities for household registration, fee-fixing, lack of effective communication and weak enforcement of sanitation bye-laws, inadequate resources, etc and the lack of better and additional monitoring capacity involving the use of Information Technology, the inability to revaluate properties and assets in the metropolis and the lack of proper data covering tax payers in the metropolis constitutes the Achilles-heal to the partnership. The findings revealed that implementation performance of PPP depends on policy standards and objectives, communication and enforcement of regulations and contract terms as well as resources and administrative structures employed. The study recommends the need to clarify policy documents, increase transparency, improve resources and manpower training as well as enforce regulations on sanitation.