Public Private Partnerships (PPPs): Promising or perverse partnerships?

Key messages:

1. SDG implementation is diverting resources towards blended finance: SDG finance has become synonymous with public private partnerships (PPPs) and blended finance - this excludes other viable financing options for states, especially states from the Global South. This allocates disproportionate risk to underfunded public sector agencies.

2. The private sector inevitably puts profits before public welfare and people: The purpose of the private for-profit sector is to meet shareholder interests. PPPs tend to protect profits over democratic public interests.

3. Water PPPs are highly problematic: They commodify a public good, suffer from lack of transparency, and unreliable forecasts of income and expenditure, and increase the risk of corruption.

4. Alternatives to PPPs exist. Public-public partnerships, based on solidarity and not-forprofit, are already effectively contributing to sustainable social and equitable development.

5. SDG 17 provides for greater mobilisation of tax resources. Pursuing Dutch, EU and international measures to eliminate tax avoidance will release billions via taxation for public funding of the SDGs and greater democratic accountability.

6. Dedicated legal, policy and institutional measures from the Dutch government are required to address the public risks of PPPs within the SDGs.