Regulation of Small Local Water Service Providers in Mali

Abstract

In Mali, water services in rural areas and small towns are fragmented and decentralised. Officially under the responsibility of municipalities, water services are provided by a multitude of small independent service operators that largely elude any form of control. While regulation in urban areas is ensured by a regulatory commission, regulation outside urban areas is not clearly assigned to any institution but is considered as being a task of the National Direction for Water (DNH). To better monitor water services, the DNH created a system called STEFI (Suivi Technique et Financier), which currently covers 30 % of existing mini-networks. While not being officially granted with a regulatory mandate, the STEFI system exercises some regulatory functions that could be strengthened and expanded.