From design to action: Papua New Guinea’s latest state-owned enterprise policy

Abstract

This article addresses policy developments concerning the structure, operation and performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Papua New Guinea. Of particular significance are reforms since 2014 which have highlighted important tensions between the country’s constitutional imperative of self-reliance and governance initiatives aimed at ensuring SOEs have a considerable degree of operational autonomy suited to their commercial objectives. The result of the reforms is a confused and contradictory set of institutional arrangements that have increased rather than reduced the possibility of direct political control over SOEs. While there are efforts to operate SOEs as efficiently as possible within current constraints, the political will to implement those parts of the reforms that have the greatest likelihood of improving the financial performance of SOEs appears to be lacking.

Keywords:

• policy design
• policy implementation
• state-owned enterprise
• government holding companies
• public sector reform
• Papua New Guinea

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.