Entry 5 By Purav Shah

Are Public-private Partnerships beneficial in a world as corrupt as now?

There are two main sectors in our country, the public sector and the private sector. The public sector is the representation of government on the buisness' side. As with any government scheme, it has it's own problems, the main problems being sloppy work and bad service. The private sector is the one run by buisnessmen and it has it's problems too. Mainly, that the private sector had the funds to do huge projects but didn't have any huge projects, mainly in the sector of infrastructure. To combat that problem a new joint sector was formed.

The joint sector is a contractual public-private relationship. It was formed to combat the problems of both the sectors and to bring out the best of both the sectors. 

The public-private relationship is a contractual agreement between a government entity and a private entity with hard set roles for each one defined. This aims to bring out the funds of private entities with their service and the workpower and the huge infrastructural projects of the public sector. This looks like a win-win situation and it is. But one must realise that combining the two sector also brings their weakness together.

The biggest problem is corruption. If both the entities want they could use this contract to both of their's personal benefit. There are a lot of ways this contract could work out.

Each them does involve the private entity getting "concession", the concession is basically the price that the public pays.

The best example of this, is the toll ways on national higway.

A private company could very easily take advantage of that.

Further, there have been several cases of cheaper material being used than the one being promised, this could be from any side of the contract not just the private entity.

But, one must see the benefits. The joint sector has brought a boom in the qrowth.of this country and continues to do so .

    - Purav Shah

       1st year, MBBS