ABSTRACT
The Shell business consisted essentially of marketing oil products, although there was also a minority stake in a small oil production venture operated by another company. He explains that concern was whether Shell could operate to our own standards. The very operation of the business was dependent on trust between Shell and other business participants in the economy. They are essential to offer choice and to encourage the efficient allocation of resources. The company performed an essential role in the supply of imported fuels in a reliable way, without which the economy could not operate at all. The Zairois Citibank manager remarked that one should perhaps view Zaire as the ultimate experiment in a laissez-faire economy as there was effectively no government. The speed and power of market responses is not limited to these relatively modern areas. Shell has more recently sold marketing businesses in many countries in Africa.
