Electrifying Africa: power through the public sector

A review of the need for electricity in Africa, experiences of privatisation, and the political and economic potential for development through the public sector

Private equity, productivity and earnings

A detailed study in the USA shows that workers experience a relative fall in earnings after a takeover by private equity. Also, companies bought by private equity are at great risk of defaulting on their debts in the next 2 years

Methodological issues in estimating the impact of private equity buyouts on employment

Claims by private equity firms that they create employment are based on deeply flawed research, and are worthless as contributions to the debate

Private equity and employment - the Davos/WEF/Harvard study

The World Economic Forum at Davos has published a major study showing that workplaces of firms taken over by private equity have 10% less employees 5 years after the takeover, than other similar workplaces. The rate of plant closures, opening, acquisitions and disposals is twice as high as in other firms, and the net effect is still a job loss of 3.6%-4.5% after only 2 years, compared with other firms. Firms taken over by private equity are also more likely to go bankrupt than publicly quoted firms

Private equity and infrastructure funds in public services and utilities

This paper discusses the extent and implications of the growth of private equity companies in public service and utility companies in Europe

Waste management companies in Europe 2009

This paper examines the ownership, employment and finances of the major waste companies in Europe, and recent developments in ownership

Electricity companies in Latin America 2007

This report surveys the multinational, local, and private equity companies involved in electricity supply in Latin America, and discusses some continuing issues, including compensation claims, and the role of public finance in restructuring and guaranteeing private sector activities, as well as renationalisations

Self-assessment or public debate? - evaluating the liberalisation of network services in the EU and USA

The public debate and increasing reversal of electricity liberalisation in the USA contrasts with the European Commission's failure to enable a similar debate in Europe or to acknowledge similar problems with the EU liberalisation directives

State aid and public services in Europe: the limitations of the EC package

This critique of the EC 2005 proposals on state aid and the implications for public services presents the historical and legal context, their impact on the expansion of private sector activity in the market for public services, a critical analysis of the proposals, and a discussion contrasting the route of encouraging competitive tendering with the possibility of exempting public services operating in the general interest