State-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain vulnerable to being used as conduits for political finance, patronage, and personal or related-party enrichment. Lingering weaknesses in corporate governance and ownership arrangements can expose SOEs to such exploitation and undermine SOE efforts to uphold integrity.

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain vulnerable to being used as conduits for political finance, patronage, and personal or related-party enrichment. Lingering weaknesses in corporate governance and ownership arrangements can expose SOEs to such exploitation and undermine SOE efforts to uphold integrity. This report highlights these weaknesses and provides state owners with a better understanding of which activities are effective in insulating SOEs from undue influence. It also takes stock of how OECD member and participating countries are implementing relevant provisions of the OECD Guidelines on Anti-Corruption and Integrity in SOEs, serving as the first report on the implementation of the Guidelines since their adoption in 2019

Corruption is the antithesis of good governance, and it is a direct threat to the purpose of state ownership. This report brings a comprehensive set of facts and figures to the discussion about the corruption risks facing state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

This report documents changes in state ownership and SOE governance in both OECD and partner economies and assesses the extent to which the Guidelines have served as a “roadmap for reform” in individual countries since 2015, following the most recent update of the Guidelines. Drawing on practices in up to 31 jurisdictions, it 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.

Corruption in state-owned enterprises has a unique ability to undermine governments, markets and citizens’ wellbeing. While international standards promote integrity in the state-owned sector, their implementation remains a challenge.

Croatia has navigated well the COVID-19 crisis and the price shocks following Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine. It has achieved robust output growth, rising employment and improving well-being, although inflation has surged. Integration into the euro- and Schengen areas at the start of 2023 are testament to progress, and are providing a further fillip to the economy.

The state, as an owner of businesses, competes and collaborates with the private sector, and this involvement has profound implications for investment and growth. Governments actively participate in commercial markets in different forms, from controlling the production of goods and services to investing in firms as a minority shareholder. The impact of state participation on an economy's growth depends on the type of public-private ownership, the types of markets, and the importance of those markets in the economy. The impact also depends on how policies and institutions regulate both the businesses with state ownership and the markets in which they are active. The Business of the State uses new evidence covering 91 countries from the World Bank's Global Businesses of the State database to highlight the distinction between businesses of the state and traditionally understood state-owned enterprises. The report analyzes how different ownership forms across sectors and institutional settings affect private investment, productivity, technology adoption, and job creation. It also analyzes how government participation in markets influences the ability of economies to respond to shocks, from pandemics to climate change. The report proposes a clear analytical framework for understanding the consequences of relying on businesses of the state to attain specific development goals.