Cape Verde's Infrastructure: A Continental Perspective

35 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

Date Written: June 1, 2011

Abstract

Cape Verde stands out in West Africa as a country whose economic geography poses major and unique challenges for infrastructure development. Its small population of half a million people is spread across a nine-island archipelago. The islands need complementary infrastructure in terms of roads, water, transport, ports, power, and ICT. Cape Verde already has well-developed infrastructure networks. Road density is relatively high, and most of the national network is paved. Almost all islands have port and airport facilities. Around 70 percent of the population has power and utility water. Indicators for ICT coverage -- penetration, bandwidth, submarine cable, private sector participation -- are relatively good. Nevertheless, prices for all services are exceptionally high. The quality of services is often deficient. At least half of the national road network is in poor condition; power supply is unreliable; and half of the population receives water from standposts. Cape Verde devotes around $147 million per year to infrastructure (almost 15 percent of GDP), among the highest levels of infrastructure spending on the continent. Some $50 million of that is lost each year to operations inefficiencies and underpricing. The country's main challenges are to improve infrastructure management and reduce high costs of services.

Keywords: Transport Economics Policy & Planning, Infrastructure Economics, Energy Production and Transportation, E-Business, Banks & Banking Reform

Suggested Citation

Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia and Benitez, Daniel, Cape Verde's Infrastructure: A Continental Perspective (June 1, 2011). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5687, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1871583

Cecilia Briceno-Garmendia (Contact Author)

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Daniel Benitez

World Bank ( email )

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