Review of Commonwealth Government Business Enterprises ...

(c) earn at least a commercial rate of return
i. This means recovering the full cost of the resources employed, including
the cost of capital.
ii. Each GBE is to work towards a financial target and a dividend policy,
agreed in advance with the Shareholder Ministers, with the financial
target to be set on the basis that each GBE should be required to earn
commercial returns at least sufficient to justify the long-term retention
of assets in the business, and to pay commercial dividends from those
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returns.
1.7 In addition to setting a commercial rate of return target, the Shareholder Ministers
may set other financial targets and non-financial targets, for particular GBEs, on a
case-by-case basis.
1.8 A GBE should operate in the industry sector, and provide the goods and services
(including CSOs), that the Government has mandated.
(a) The Government may impose service quality standards on GBEs providing
goods and services in a monopolistic market or CSO goods and services.
(b) In providing each GBE with a clear mandate and set of objectives the
Shareholder Ministers will ensure that the objectives include any requirements
to meet explicitly stated Government social and economic objectives.
1.9 The mandate of a GBE will be reviewed by the Government about every three
years, and consideration given to the rationale for continuing Commonwealth
ownership of the organisation.
1.10 Ministerial directions to GBEs, as prescribed in enabling legislation and company
constitutions, are to be in writing and tabled in both Houses of Parliament within
15 sitting days.
1.11 An ultimate objective for each GBE is for it to operate at world best practice.
Corporate Plans
Part 2 – Reporting 2
2.1 The directors of a wholly owned GBE must prepare a corporate plan at least once a
year and give it to the Shareholder Ministers.
(a) The plan covers a period of at least 3 years.
(b) If the GBE has subsidiaries, the plan covers both the GBE and its subsidiaries.
In particular, for each subsidiary the plan includes details of the matters in (d)
below, so far as they are applicable.