A two-day conference that took place in Kigali, this week, sought to address modalities of establishing a dynamic public-private partnerships (PPPs).

There has been tendency to rely on the government to provide public infrastructure, community facilities and related services; however, the Government does not have the resources to fully fund all the required public services.

With limited resources, the government is sometimes forced to prioritize. Instead of delaying projects until government funding is available, communities should rally behind the promotion of such partnerships.

There is no point in having to wait to get a school, a road or a hospital in your community just because the government has no funding. Local government representatives should engage the private sector entities in their respective communities and, together, they can come up with strategies on how to develop public infrastructure in their communities.

Such partnerships are characterized by the sharing of investment, risk, responsibility and reward between the partners. Both the public and the private sector have unique characteristics that provide them with advantages in specific aspects of service or project delivery. When resources are combined, there is no doubt the projects undertaken will produce remarkable results.

In addition to creating an enabling environment and raising awareness about PPPs, the government can extend other incentives including, tax holidays, capacity building programs and expertise for companies that are engaged in activities with greater impact on the lives of the general population.

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