Social, Health, and Environmental Infrastructures for Economic Growth

摘要

The importance of infrastructure for sustainable economic development is well recognized in economic theory. While physical infrastructure covering transportation, power and communication through its backward and forward linkages facilitates growth and productivity particularly in industrial and service sectors, social infrastructure including water supply, sanitation, sewage disposal, education and health, bear a direct impact on the quality of life of the population. Normally, infrastructure of both kinds has a large over-lapping interaction, thus together creating stronger impacts in overall development trajectory. Along with better availability of infrastructure, its efficient use is also called for greater improved outcome. The high transaction costs arising from inadequate and inefficient infrastructure can prevent the economy from realising its full growth potential regardless of the progress on other fronts. Normally identified as a public good, private partnership in developing infrastructure is being extensively used in several countries, especially after globalization.