The economic performance of state-owned enterprises in Central and Eastern Europe |
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Authors: | Katarzyna Szarzec Wanda Nowara |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Macroeconomics and Development Studies, Poznan University of Economics and Business, Poznan, Poland;2. Analytical Division, Statistical Office in Poznan, Poznan, Poland |
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Abstract: | This article explores the economic performance of state ownership in the largest non-financial enterprises operating in 13 post-socialist Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries over the period 2007–2013. The largest state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are selected based on the ‘Coface – 500 Top Companies in CEE’ list in 2013. Of these 500 enterprises, 69 were identified as state-owned. All originated in the socialist period. The majority of them are from Poland and Ukraine. SOEs hold a dominant position in energy supply, the oil and gas sector, and transport. We find that the persistence of state ownership in post-socialist countries is caused by incomplete privatisation and the presence of SOEs within strategic sectors. The economic performance of the largest state-owned companies is, on average, comparable to their private counterparts. |
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Keywords: | Largest state-owned enterprises ownership structure Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) post-socialist countries |
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