Unsolicited Infrastructure Proposal: How Some Countries Introduce Transparency

Governments worldwide have been increasingly looking to the private sector to fill the growing gap between the demand and supply of infrastructure services. As a result, private participation in infrastructure (PPI) in developing countries increased dramatically in the past fifteen years, accounting for more than $850 billion in committed new investment between 1990 and 2005. While the results have been mixed in some countries, many governments have recognized that the private sector can be an important mechanism for bringing technical and managerial expertise to the construction, operation, maintenance, and financing of infrastructure projects.

This paper looks at specific type of PPI projects called “unsolicited proposals.” Unsolicited proposals are not requested by a government and usually originate within the private sector. These proposals typically come from companies with ties to a particular industry—such as developers, suppliers, and financiers—that spend their own money to develop basic project specifications, then directly approach governments to get the required official approvals.

Ref #: Unsolicited InfrastructureProposals