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PPIAF has provided assistance for the development of ports in developing countries, including specific transaction-focused support. Below are several examples. Final reports and related materials are included when available.

In 2000 and 2001 PPIAF provided two grants to support the preparation and dissemination of the Port Reform Toolkit: Effective Support for Policymakers and Practitioners. This Toolkit provides policy makers and practitioners with decision-making support in undertaking sustainable reforms of public institutions that regulate port services in developing countries. In particular the purpose of the Toolkit is to provide public officials with support in:

  • Understanding the needs, challenges, and risks for sector reform and institutional design that are emerging from the changing business environment surrounding port operations
  • Choosing among options for private sector participation and analyzing the implications to redefine interdependent operational, regulatory, and legal relationships between public and private parties
  • Preparing legislation, contracts, and institutions to govern private sector participation
  • Managing the transition to increased private sector involvement

The Toolkit draws together practical institutional designs and modalities for increasing private sector involvement. It presents international best practices in a manner that is relevant to decision makers, with experience drawn from recent port reform activities around the world. The Toolkit is designed to be easily understood by non-specialists.
 
In 2001, at the request of the federal government, PPIAF financed a study to formulate a port sector reform strategy in Nigeria. The country’s ports were plagued by high costs, long turnaround times, theft, poor infrastructure, and inefficient regulatory frameworks. PPIAF-funded recommendations laid the foundation for one of the most ambitious infrastructure concessioning programs ever attempted, resulting in 26 long-term concessions with planned investments in excess of $1 billion. Click here for the related Impact Story, and here [Gridlines] for more detailed information.

The port of Ploce in Croatia is the gateway of the Vc European corridor and is considered a strategic port by the Croatian government. In 2006 PPIAF supported a study to assist with 1) developing a framework for long-term development of the port and 2) the formulation of an action plan recommending various mechanisms and instruments for the participation of the private sector in financing new developments. The study was completed in November 2006 and included a business plan covering the review of the port authority's master plan, financial projections and financing requirements, an action plan covering capacity building requirements, a proposed tariff framework, and a concession structure to enhance private sector participation/financing. The government has approved the master plan and the business plan and is in the process of implementing the concession for the construction of the container terminal.

In May 2006 the government of Maldives requested PPIAF assistance to select the location of a new port in Malé—a major hub—and the most appropriate forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to implement the project. PPIAF technical assistance:

  • Provided a thorough analysis of strengths and weaknesses of alternative locations for the new port through an assessment of the       physical constraints of each presented site, an assessment of their suitability for use as a port facility, an estimate of the capital costs for the construction of the new facility, expected traffic volumes, operating costs, and economic and financial assessments
  • Recommended alternative forms of PPPs that could be used in the Maldives based on a review of legislation and regulations and the identification of the gaps in the existing legal framework and institutional structures
  • Provided an assessment of the viability of the alternative PPP structures and the necessary legislative and institutional changes required for each, and prepared a clear implementation timetable

Following PPIAF technical assistance, the government opted for developing the new port in one of the recommended sites, Thilafushi, on a build-operate-transfer basis. The bidding process was put in place by the government and is expected to take place in 2012. Once constructed, the new international port is expected to have a strong positive impact on trade and economic growth.