Municipal Asset Management in China's Small Cities and Towns

49 Pages Posted: 21 Sep 2018 Last revised: 22 Sep 2018

Date Written: March 6, 2017

Abstract

Chinese municipalities have developed a large stock of capital assets during a period of rapid growth and urbanization, but have yet to modernize asset management practices. Cities face challenges such as premature decline of fixed assets and spiking liabilities related to operating and maintaining the assets. This paper evaluates the asset management practices in three selected small cities and towns in China, using a benchmarking assessment tool followed by an in-depth field assessment. The paper finds that overall performance is below half of international benchmark for good practice in all three cities. Management practices are considerably more advanced for land than for buildings and infrastructure. Key deficiencies in data availability and reporting, governance, capacity, and financial management indicate increased risks for local government finance and the delivery of public services. For small cities and towns where public revenues are often uncertain and limited, urban public services will be at risk of deterioration unless good asset management practices are put in place. The paper recommends strategic actions for both upper and lower levels of government to advance local asset management practices and facilitate the reform agenda.

Keywords: Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations and Local Finance Management, Hydrology, Transport Services, Municipal Management and Reform

Suggested Citation

Campanaro, Alessandra and Masic, Joanna Mclean and Kaganova, Olga and Fan, Hongye and Abdelfattah, Hazem, Municipal Asset Management in China's Small Cities and Towns (March 6, 2017). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 7997, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3252826

Alessandra Campanaro (Contact Author)

World Bank

1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Joanna Mclean Masic

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Olga Kaganova

Independent

Hongye Fan

Independent

Hazem Abdelfattah

Independent

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