Tampere corporate committee defends tighter oversight of city-owned companies

In response to opinion pieces published Oct. 8 and 12 in Aamulehti, Tampere's corporate committee has defended a package of governance and transparency measures. The move follows the committee's work in September to finalise ownership strategies for ten city-owned companies the committee's September work to finalise ownership strategies and an audit that found the city had met just 53% of its 2025 targets the audit finding of 53% of 2025 targets met.

Chair Matti Helimo and deputies Pilvi Kuitu and Johanna Kirjavainen say the city guides firms with ownership strategies, concrete targets, board appointments and active supervision. They add that a company form is not an end in itself. It is useful for services that require specialised expertise, long-term risk management and large investments.

The committee has tightened board selection by adding more independent experts and improving gender and background balance. In September it set 2027 targets that emphasise customer satisfaction and delivery reliability, for example citing Tampereen Vesi's goals for supply reliability, customer satisfaction and reasonable fees. The city monitors finances, debt, investments, risks and service prices through group reporting, internal and external evaluations and internal audit. It can demand corrective action or replace boards if targets are not met.