ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly discusses the nature of the policy-making process in order to establish how far the assumed identity between public policy and public interest holds true in practice. It is normally assumed that public sector enterprises operate in ways which diverge significantly from private practice. Even in economies where governments are willing and able to control their public industries, incorporation within the world economic system places limits on the extent to which a state enterprise can be run to achieve noncommercial objectives. In the minerals sector most agreements appear to follow the typical north–south trade pattern, with bulk raw materials exchanged for capital goods, including military equipment. Inevitably the imposition of price controls affects the profitability of domestic producers. The administrative arrangements for environmental planning, as they affect the minerals sector, are normally highly fragmented both spatially and functionally.
