This introduction presents the methods for the development of this report as well as aggregated results from the participating countries.
Implementing the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises: Review of Recent Developments
1. Introduction
Abstract
This report sheds light on progress and changes regarding national practices with regard to each chapter of the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises (“SOE Guidelines”) since work commenced on revising the SOE Guidelines in 2013. The report is based on a survey of state-owned enterprise (SOE) ownership entities and of departments of government (e.g. ministries of finance and/or industry) with broader responsibility for SOEs– together totalling participation of 29 different countries. The respondent countries consist of 27 OECD Member countries and 2 OECD partner countries. Drawing on practices in these countries, the report covers:
Organising the state enterprise ownership function;
Safeguarding a level playing field between SOEs and private businesses;
Equitable treatment of shareholders and other investors;
Stakeholder relations and responsible business;
Transparency and disclosure practices; and
Professionalising boards of directors.
The report supports policy makers by facilitating greater awareness and more effective implementation of the SOE Guidelines.
Figure 1.1. Number of countries with policy changes with respect to the implementation of the SOE Guidelines during the review period (2013-2018)
Source: OECD, based on national questionnaire responses and interviews with national authorities.
This report is organised according to the chapters of the SOE Guidelines. The implementation of each chapter is treated in a separate sub-section, except for chapters 1 and 2 which are treated jointly as, in practice, it is often impossible to disentangle legal and regulatory change affecting the two.
Table 1.1. Policy changes in the implementation of the SOE Guidelines during the reviewed period (2013-2018)
Source: Author based on the information from national authorities.
Infographic 1.1. How countries have implemented the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises
References
OECD (2020a), Corporate Governance in Costa Rica, OECD Publishing, Paris, forthcoming.
OECD (2020b), Transparency and Disclosure Practices of State-Owned Enterprises and their Owners, Paris, forthcoming.
OECD (2018), Ownership and Governance of State-Owned Enterprises: A Compendium of National Practices, http://www.oecd.org/corporate/ca/Ownership-and-Governance-of-State-Owned-Enterprises-A-Compendium-of-National-Practices.pdf
OECD (2015), OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises, 2015 Edition, OECD Publishing, Paris, http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264244160-en.
OECD (2011), Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises: Change and Reform in OECD Countries since 2005, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264119529-en.