Another option for the Kouga Municipality’s proposed fire service levy?

Below is an extract from an article, The private provision of public goods in Kenya, by Z Cacares. Click here to access the full article.

“The Adam Smith Institute has published an excerpt from a project I’ve been working on based on research in Kenya’s “informal sector”. The article is about private security firms that provide security subscription packages, run a full fire company and, yes, deliver the mail. Those interested in competitive governance may find it interesting.

BABS [acronym for “Be Assured of Best Services”] Security Services is one such company. For BABS security means much more than guards and cameras. Kenya’s dysfunctional State has failed to provide many services traditionally considered the purview of “public” authorities.

Among others, BABS supplies and maintains all the equipment and staff necessary to operate a full-service fire-fighting outfit. Contracts are typically annual and tied to individual properties – not neighbourhoods or cities. BABS will work with insurance companies to lower premiums if a contract is taken out with their fire service, since some municipal services are unreliable or just non-existent.”

The Coerier – Die Koerier is indebted to local MP and leader of the DA in the National Council of Provinces, Elza van Lingen, for bringing the article to its attention.

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Fire service levy