▁identify ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁social ▁connections . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁private ▁operator ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁decent ral ized ▁and ▁computer ized ▁network ▁of ▁payment ▁bo oth s . ▁This ▁made ▁pay ments ▁by ▁domestic ▁clients ▁easier , ▁and ▁improved ▁customer ▁services . ▁The ▁operator ' s ▁rem un er ation ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁water ▁produced ▁and ▁sold , ▁creating ▁an ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁many ▁customers ▁as ▁possible ▁while ▁reducing ▁water ▁losses . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁study ▁by ▁the ▁Boston ▁Institute ▁for ▁Develop ing ▁Econom ies ▁( B IDE ) ▁estimated ▁the ▁total ▁net ▁benefits ▁of ▁the ▁le ase ▁contract ▁at ▁a ▁st agger ing ▁US $ 4 5 7 ▁million , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁bulk ▁acc ru ed ▁to ▁customers ▁who ▁received ▁better ▁access ▁to ▁higher ▁volumes ▁of ▁water , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁government , ▁with ▁only ▁small ▁benefits ▁acc ru ing ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁water ▁company ▁( US $ 6 ▁million ). ▁Los ers ▁included ▁foreign ▁l enders ▁( US $ 1 4 ▁million ) ▁and ▁employees ▁( US $ 1 0 ▁million ) ▁through ▁lower ▁increases ▁in ▁w ages ▁and ▁benefits ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁period ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁reform ▁and ▁through ▁a ▁small ▁reduction ▁in ▁employ ment . ▁ ▁Selection ▁of ▁the ▁private ▁operator ▁The ▁private ▁operator ▁was ▁selected ▁compet it ively ▁in ▁a ▁two - stage ▁b idd ing ▁process . ▁Four ▁b idd ers , ▁all ▁of ▁them ▁French , ▁participated ▁in