Privatization

Privatization, also spelled privatisation, can have several meanings. Primarily, it is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service or public property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector, either to a business that operates for a profit or to a non-profit organization. The term can also mean government outsourcing of services or functions to private firms, e.g. revenue collection, law enforcement, and prison management.

Privatization has also been used to describe two unrelated transactions. The first is the buying of all outstanding shares of a publicly traded company by a single entity, taking the company private. This is often described as private equity. The second is a demutualization of a mutual organization or cooperative to form a joint stock company.