La actividad empresarial del Estado en el Perú

This article deals with the role of the State in the economy and the context in which it has been changing through the various governments. It presents the characteristics of the business activity of the State in three stages: Before 1968, 1968-1980, and the period of the second government of F. Belaunde. Ending with a small analysis of the problems faced by state companies in the country. The author characterizes the role of the State in the first stage as a provider of services and basic infrastructure, leaving productive activities to the private sector (foreign capital and national oligarchy). Until 1948 a reduced state intervention was observed, represented mainly by public services and Development Banking, from that year the State entered with more notoriety but always with the same criteria: Supporting the private sector through the provision of inputs cheap for development. In the second stage, the author points out that the objectives of the new government were: Reduce external dependence, greater degree of social justice and achieve self-sustained growth, given the inability of the dominant sectors; To achieve these goals, the State will be the promoter of development, with more direct participation in productive activity, trying to implement an "Economic Pluralism" to transform the property structure. As a result of this policy, they expanded and created public companies that participated on a large scale in the main export and import products. The change in the military government brought a questioning of the business role of the state and at this stage an attempt will be made to improve the financial situation of the companies, but without clearly defined guidance. With the constitution of 78, the general guideline is reached that the State acts in those sectors where the private sector cannot enter or is not efficient. Popular Action marks its period with the thesis that the state is oversized and that it is necessary to establish priorities, giving the state a character of support to complement the private initiative. It is about reprivatizing companies that are not efficient and profitable, which is not done to the degree programmed due to the lack of consensus and the political implications of such a decision. In the end, the problems that currently affect public companies are classified into three large groups: Those that are derived from the relationship that the company establishes with the central government, then those that arise from the inter-relationship between the differences between existing companies. and finally those problems of the public entity.