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Water is a precious resource and nowadays it is becoming more and more limited. In order to cope with this situation, privatisation of water services has been promoted and it is has become a compulsory precondition for developing countries, who want to access World Bank and IMF’ s funds for water and sanitation programmes.This paper compares two contrasting views:water is a basic human right that every state should guarantee to its citizenswater is an economic good –a commodity – that should be governed by market forces The main consequence of water services privatisation is that water will become a privilege only of those who can pay high prices, by excluding a priori the poor. Empirical evidence suggests that generally water privatisation in developing countries has been led by foreign multinational companies. In addition, although a privatised water industry could lead to an increased efficiency, it should be taken into account that it needs an effective regulation, which is not a common characteristic in developing countries.Therefore, the paper concludes that the responsibility for water services should rest with governments and the democratic and accountable system of governance is a prerequisite for equitable approach to water services.
