An approach some countries use is to operate it like a company, but have it fully government-owned. If, say, every county it serves owns a share of the company

An approach some countries use is to operate it like a company, but have it fully government-owned. If, say, every county it serves owns a share of the company, you set up a structure in which it isn't supposed to generate a profit: shareholders can't run it into the ground for monetary reasons. On the other hand, being independent from the government itself makes it less vulnerable to corruption and harmful interference.