Supporting Export Competitiveness through Port and Rail Network Reforms : A Case Study of South Africa
Transport and logistics infrastructure is a critical determinant of the competitiveness of a country's producers and exporters. Well-functioning transport and logistics infrastructure relies not just on hardware, but critically on the operatin...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/01/25762653/supporting-export-competitiveness-through-port-rail-network-reforms-case-study-south-africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23632 |
| Summary: | Transport and logistics infrastructure
is a critical determinant of the competitiveness of a
country's producers and exporters. Well-functioning transport
and logistics infrastructure relies not just on hardware,
but critically on the operating environment that emerges
from the interaction between private sector operators;
national policies and regulatory regimes; and, in many
countries, state-owned owners and operators of core
infrastructure. This paper looks at the case of South
Africa, where constraints in access, pricing, reliability,
and network interfaces, particularly in the port and rail
network, are eroding the competitiveness of South African
exporters. The paper draws on interviews with a wide range
of exporters along with secondary research to examine South
Africa's port and rail network, and explores the underlying
factors contributing to these constraints, including chronic
underinvestment, an inadequate regulatory environment,
insufficient private sector participation, and weak regional
integration. The paper concludes with a review of the
reforms needed to deliver a more broadly accessible and
competitive rail and port sector based on international case
examples. It highlights the need for institutional reforms
to promote competitive pricing; private sector participation
to increase investment and improve service delivery;
information and coordination to address market failures and
improve access; and cooperation to improve intermodal,
interregional, and institutional interfaces. |
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