An estimated 22% of the world’s largest 100 firms are now effectively under state control. This is the highest percentage in decades. The upsurge of SOEs as global competitors has given rise to concerns related to a level playing field. Some business competitors and observers claim that compensation granted by governments to SOEs in return for public policy obligations carried out at home as well as other advantages enjoyed by SOEs but not privately-owned firms can give SOEs a competitive edge in international markets. The challenge is that in a globalised economy, some state interventionist policies can have beggar-thy-neighbour effects. The risk of not addressing such concerns is that trade and investment partners may revert to protectionist responses, which in turn may discourage much-needed international investment. In this context, the OECD hosted a half-day dialogue on the topic of SOEs as global competitors.
PROGRAMMEThe agenda focused on three main issues:
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Documents and linksOECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of SOEs
OECD work on freedom of investment
Achieving competitive neutrality
Competition assessment toolkit
Fighting bid rigging in public procurement
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