Handbook for Evaluating Infrastructure Regulatory Systems

Abstract

More than 200 new infrastructure
 regulators have been created around the world in the last 15
 years. They were established to encourage clear and
 sustainable long-term economic and legal commitments by
 governments and investors to encourage new investment to
 benefit existing and new customers. There is now
 considerable evidence that both investors and consumers-the
 two groups that were supposed to have benefited from these
 new regulatory systems-have often been disappointed with
 their performance. The fundamental premise of this book is
 that regulatory systems can be successfully reformed only if
 there are independent, objective and public evaluations of
 their performance. Just as one goes to a medical doctor for
 a regular health checkup, it is clear that infrastructure
 regulation would also benefit from periodic checkups. This
 book provides a general framework as well as detailed
 practical guidance on how to perform such regulatory checkups.