Service constraints and willingness to pay in community-managed water supply services in Ghana, Emmanuel Nti, Camillus Wongnaa, Nana Edusah, John-Eudes Bakang and Vasco Kyei
Emmanuel Kwame Nti, Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa, John-Eudes Andivi Bakang, Vasco Baffour Kyei
Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
Ghana
Email: kwame.nti@yahoo.com
Nana Sampson E. Edusah
Bureau of Integrated Rural Development
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
Ghana
DOI: 10.1108/WJEMSD-06-2020-0059
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to support the development of effective strategies that enhance community water supply systems. The study examined service constraints and willingness to pay for better services in community-managed water supply services using empirical evidence from beneficiaries of a small-town water supply system in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach: A survey design of both descriptive and exploratory research is adopted, the descriptive survey handles the quantitative aspect, while the exploratory survey handles the qualitative aspect. The authors collected data using a structured survey questionnaire from 387 beneficiaries who were public standpipe and domestic users. Descriptive statistics, Kendall's coefficient of concordance and Cragg's two-step model were the methods of analysis employed.
Findings: The respondents ranked lack of capacity (managerial) as the topmost constraint of the community-managed water system. The findings indicate that 57% of the beneficiaries were not willing to pay, whiles 43% were willing to pay. Also, results from Cragg's two-step regression model indicate that different sets of factors affect willingness-to-pay and amount-to-pay decisions. The study revealed that while a willingness-to-pay decision is influenced by income, education, marital status and customer service, the estimated-amount-to-pay decision is more influenced by income and education.
Originality/value: Building on the empirical evidence, the findings indicated that the water and sanitation management team can increase the current fee of GH¢ 5.00/1 m3 (≈US$ 0.87) by increasing beneficiaries charge for a bucket of water from GH¢ 0.10p (≈US$ 0.017) to GH¢ 0.21p (≈US$ 0.036) for better services within the community. Importantly, the additional charge should take into consideration income and education which were noted to significantly influence the beneficiary's amount-to-pay decision for better services in the community-managed water supply system.
Keywords: Willingness to pay; Community-managed; Sustainability; Water supply system.
Citation: Nti, E.K., Wongnaa, C.A., Edusah, N.S.E., Bakang, J.-E.A. and Baffour Kyei, V. (2021), "Service constraints and willingness to pay in community-managed water supply services in Ghana", World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 329-353. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-06-2020-0059
