Concepts for Reforming Poland's State-Owned Enterprise Supervision System

The system for supervising state-owned enterprises in Poland has undergone substantial changes in recent years. In 2017, the Ministry of the Treasury was disbanded, and its powers were divided among several government ministers. Two years later, the previous centralised system was reinstated. At the same time, further modifications have been announced. The objective of this article is to propose a direction for further reforms based on the experience of both Poland and the world's most developed economies. The research methods are a literature review, an analysis of ownership supervision systems in developed countries, with a particular emphasis on France, Britain and Norway; and an analysis of measures considered and implemented in Poland. The decentralised supervision system at work in Poland from 2017 to 2019 is described in extensive detail. The analysis shows that this system failed to live up to expectations. Weaknesses, as identified in research reports, included a lack of transparency and a blurred borderline between the ownership and regulatory functions of the state. This article offers some policy recommendations that highlight the need to separate the ownership function of the state, increase the independence of supervisory institutions and press ahead with privatisation.