Empirical Experience: an Overview

Abstract

As discussed in the first chapter, the reasons for the establishment of a state holding company can be various, and these need not be limited to, and need not include, the reasons for establishing a holding company in the private sector of a market economy. Differences in purpose and environment are closely associated with differences in structure and behaviour. Based primarily on differences in purpose, therefore, a broad categorization of holding companies from different groups of countries may be attempted. This section gives a general overview of these various forms in order to provide a perspective for the country case studies which follow. Additional notes on individual country experiences may be found in the Appendix.¹