Public vs Private Sectors

Okay, so technically this isn't a vocab entry, it's more a concept entry. There's a lot of talk in Chapter 12 about the public and private sectors of businesses and privately owned businesses, and it's pretty apparent these are important concepts, but how many of us actually know what they are? Well folks, y'all in luck, prepare to be enlightened.

From the Dictionary:
Private Sector- noun that part of a country's economy consisting of privately owned and operated businesses, etc.

Public Sector- noun the part of a country's economy which consists of nationalized industries and of institutions and services run by the state or local authorities.

Where does it pop up in Zaat?

(pg 186) "The president of the Republic accuses a private company of maliciously interfering with the products of a public sector company because its prices are cheaper."

Applying our new-found knowledge to this quote we can conclude that the president of the Republic's accusation is completely bogus. Clearly, both institutions are legal (we hope) businesses which naturally engage in competition with eachother. However, given the context provided by the novel, we can deduce that the concerns of the president are valid; the government of Egypt is so corrupt, especially on local levels, that most likely, publicly owned businesses are floundering due to poor management. 

"The Chambers Dictionary." Chambers. Hodder Education, 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.