Public institutions
Government departments, statutory bodies and GLCs compared
Understand why a ministry, department, statutory body and government-linked company have different legal duties and accountability routes.Direct answer
A ministry directs a policy portfolio, a department performs public administration under government authority, a statutory body is created by legislation with defined powers, and a government-linked company is incorporated under company law with government-linked ownership or control. Public connection does not make their legal status, staff or accountability identical.
Example from your election context
Worked example
Identifying who controls an organisation
Find the establishing Act or company record, board appointment power, shareholder, funding and ministerial direction before calling it a government department.
- Department
- Direct public administration
- Statutory body
- Created by a specific law
- GLC
- Company with government linkage
Start with the establishing instrument
Names can mislead. Find the statute, administrative order or company registration that creates the organisation.
- A department normally sits within ministerial administration.
- A statutory body has powers and governance set by its Act.
- A company has directors and corporate duties even when government-linked shareholders influence control.
Accountability follows money, power and ownership
Different institutions answer through ministers, boards, Parliament, audit, regulators, company reporting and courts in different combinations.
- Check whether public funds, guarantees or contracts are involved.
- Identify who appoints the board and who can issue directions.
- Do not assume every GLC decision is a Cabinet decision or every statutory body is commercially independent.
Sources: Ministry of Finance; National Audit Department
Common questions
Is every government-owned company a government department?
No. A company remains a separate corporate entity even where government-linked bodies own or control it.
Are statutory bodies part of the civil service?
Their staff and service schemes depend on the establishing law and applicable rules; they are not automatically ordinary ministry departments.