PSIREN

  The PSI Subregional Trade Union Forum on ADB Energy Policy and Projects (Nov 20-21, 2010) aims to provide a forum for PSI electricity unions to exchange information about their campaigns related to ADB/IFI-supported power sector reforms and initiate a subregional campaign platform.  A total of 21 participants (4F, 17M) attended the workshop.

http://kluwerarbitrationblog.com/blog/2009/03/02/scorecard-of-investment...

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/colombia-archives-61/1786-colombia-fighting-development-banks-for-the-human-right-to-water
Colombia: Fighting Development Banks for the Human Right to Water

Contains: PSI’s position on public sector reforms (New Public Management; Privatisation, PPP, PFIs; Outsourcing or contracting out; Cost-cutting budget constraints; Performance pay and performance management); Other modes of PSR (Decentralization; Separation of Policymaking and Service Delivery; Emergence of e-government; Job losses, austerity measures due to global economic crisis); World Bank review of PSR; Reasserting the public in public services;  ADB-supported PSR in power, water, health, education sectors; Union actions in PSR

ADB report shows the impacts of ADB's assistance to the state of Madhya Pradesh since 1999 in fiscal consolidation and sectoral reform programs and investments in energy, urban infrastructure (e.g., Madhya Pradesh Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project, Indore Water Supply Project), and transportation.
Impacts of MP power sector reforms include reported achievements in:
 -       restructuring of the vertically integrated MPSEB into six successor companies

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a part of the World Bank Group which invests money in projects involving private companies. It openly promotes privatisation in many sectors. Recent activity invcludes:

Water and energy multinationals have been fined and/or investigated by the European Commission for a number of competition offences. These include possible attempts to cover up evidence of wrong-doing.

The Italian campaign against water privatisation -  Forum Italiano dei Movimenti per l’Acqua - collected over a million signatures in 2 months in support of a demand for a referendum to prevent the privatisation of water services.The campaign is organised and supported by hundreds of organisations and bodies, including water operators, community and releigious organisations, and the Italian trade unions.
 
 

Oct 09 Final report of Castalia consultants which will be basis of privitization of MIWD thru PPP. Board of Directors now in the process of signing a MOA with IFC for the conduct of the feasibility study.
Executive Summary:

June 2010 – The Karnataka government is in the process of seeking additional funds from the World Bank for development works like creation of sewage and drinking water system in the new areas of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) or the Greater Bangalore City Corporation. The BBMP was created in 2007 by merging eight urban local bodies with the then Bangalore City Corporation. At present, there are 198 wards in BBMP and most of them lack basic civic amenities.

New Delhi, June 23, 2010 (ANI): Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah, called upon Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other multilateral agencies to considerably step up their support to renewable energy projects in developing countries.

July 2010 - It may not be the most glamorous export, but selling treated sewage water is seen as a way Japan can profit from billions of tons of water now being dumped into the sea.As early as autumn, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will conduct an experiment exporting highly treated sewage water from Chiba and Kawasaki cities to Australia.

Jonathan Rolls Out Nine Month Plan On Power
 
Fidelis Mac-Leva
 
29 June 2010, Daily Trust
 
Following the assumption of full responsibilities of Nigeria's troubled Power sector, President Goodluck Jonathan constituted a Presidential Action Committee to oversee the new reforms in the sector. To underscore the enormous task before it, Jonathan elected to head the all important committee which has the minister of state for Power, Nuhu Somo Way, as vice chairman.
 

West Seti Hydroelectric Project (WSHP) involves the construction and operation of 750-MW hydroelectric power plant on Seti river in far western region of Nepal on BOOT basis for 30 years. Project sponsor is Australian-based Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC); West Seti Hydro Limited (WSHL) is 100% subsidiary of SMEC. Construction will be by China Machinery & Equipment Import and Export Corporation under lump sum price turnkey contract signed in April 2005; construction period is for 5 years.

Briscoe:  War or peace on the Indus?
By John Briscoe, April 03, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=232342