POLICY ARENA: The Economics and Politics of Government Ownership

Abstract

Based in part on a new data set, this article ®nds that, despite an increase in privatization, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) shares in GDP and employment had not declined in developing countries, and SOE de®cits and ine iciencies were a drag on growth. In a sample of 12 reforming countries, those which improved SOE performance the most followed a comprehensive strategy of divestiture, competition, hard budgets, ®nancial sector reform and changes in the institutional relationship between SOEs and governments. These successful reformers met three necessary political conditions: reform was politically desirable, politically feasible and credible. The article presents a decision tree suggesting how to meet the three political conditions and privatize and reform SOEs.

The impact of privatisation on the position of Sudanese women

“…Privatisation by most countries was part of the economic globalisation pushed by the international financial powers represented by the IMF and the WB. The WB and IMF were the main international financial institutions (IFLs) responsible for supporting member states' financial and economic structures on the international level (Shirley, 1997). Since the 1980s and for the next two decades, economic restructuring, including privatisation, became one of the major conditions for new lending, and much aid to developing countries, according to the policies of the IMF and the WB.…”

The impact of privatisation on the position of Sudanese women

“…Privatisation by most countries was part of the economic globalisation pushed by the international financial powers represented by the IMF and the WB. The WB and IMF were the main international financial institutions (IFLs) responsible for supporting member states' financial and economic structures on the international level (Shirley, 1997). Since the 1980s and for the next two decades, economic restructuring, including privatisation, became one of the major conditions for new lending, and much aid to developing countries, according to the policies of the IMF and the WB.…”

The impact of privatisation on the position of Sudanese women

“…Privatisation by most countries was part of the economic globalisation pushed by the international financial powers represented by the IMF and the WB. The WB and IMF were the main international financial institutions (IFLs) responsible for supporting member states' financial and economic structures on the international level (Shirley, 1997). Since the 1980s and for the next two decades, economic restructuring, including privatisation, became one of the major conditions for new lending, and much aid to developing countries, according to the policies of the IMF and the WB.…”

The impact of privatisation on the position of Sudanese women

“…Privatisation by most countries was part of the economic globalisation pushed by the international financial powers represented by the IMF and the WB. The WB and IMF were the main international financial institutions (IFLs) responsible for supporting member states' financial and economic structures on the international level (Shirley, 1997). Since the 1980s and for the next two decades, economic restructuring, including privatisation, became one of the major conditions for new lending, and much aid to developing countries, according to the policies of the IMF and the WB.…”