Factores que explican el nivel de eficiencia en la provisión del servicio de agua potable en el Ecuador, periodo 2014 – 2017

Abstract

A growing literature has focused on the efficiency analysis of the drinking water sector in order to influence the decision-making and regulation process in the search for greater efficiency the service suppliers. This research calculates the level of technical efficiency oriented to the inputs / costs of the service suppliers drinking water of Ecuador at the cantonal level and analyze the determinants of efficiency, for the period of time 2014-2017. This paper uses parametric and semi-parametric methods, such as the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with double bootstrap, respectively. The results show that the suppliers service drinking water in Ecuador could save the inputs or costs that they use, and still keep the level of drinking water production used for the provision of the service to the inhabitants of the cantons. Furthermore, the findings show that the level of technical efficiency differs by the type of management -Public or Municipal Company - and according to the geographical location -Coast, Sierra and Oriente region. Finally, there is a significant relationship between the technical efficiency of the supplier and a set of factors that includes the economic level of the canton, the density of customers, the volume of water losses, the use of groundwater, the type of management and the region