The challenges, practices and prospects of urban infrastructure financing in Jimma City

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges, practices and prospects of urban infrastructure financing in Jimma City. To do so, the study collected primary data, described and employed binary logistics regressions. The outcome reported 91.10% have access for clean water and the remaining 8.90% don’t have access to clean water. The community water spots are the sources of access to clean water for 65.28% of dwellers. In this city 46.59% of the dwellers were gets the community water spots before 10 years. The time it takes to have the access after applying to the relevant water office takes 2-6 months for 72.11%. 94.6% participated in the cost sharing during the infrastructure in different rate ranges. Age, family size, lack of infrastructure input is negatively related to access to clean water and participations in cost sharing is positively related to it. Based on this outcome this study recommended that, water service cost sharing participation and the water service provision is advised to be fair, inclusive and innovative. The office is advised to take a responsive measures to overcome the challenge in the urban water service financing caused due to; lack of finance, lack of technicians, excessive bureaucracy, shortage of water supply source, lack of input for the infrastructure, topographic problem, increase in the town population, water management and timing and water utility problem of the community. The public private partnership in the provision of water is the other means to overcome the challenges. Amazingly, all potential big companies in the city didn’t have their water spout all they expect and compete for the public spot. The city is advised to improve insufficient municipal revenue from taxes and fees, low level of municipal expenditure management, least price bid proclamation, lack of coordination between different line sector and low community participation are the major once. Along this the city is recommended to use innovative additional source of revenue, sharpen planning gap, spend more on capital investment, and to minimizing extra cost. The office is advised to consider age and family size of the household negatively when they plan water service provisions. The office is recommended to overcome lack of inputs and topographic problems in the water service provisions. The office is advised to promote cost sharing participation of water service provision.