The appropriateness of the profit to be made is a particularly controversial area. This is primarily an issue for elements of social infrastructure, such as schools and courts, which are often regarded as a core part of the public balance sheet, from which no one should profit. Even if people accept the reality that profits will be made, there could be a public outcry when most of the profits are channeled toward the private sector.
Arrangements can be put in place to ensure that the public authority shares in the future success of a project; this is the case with the recent transaction for the Seagirt Marine Terminal (see Case Study 5: Port of Baltimore, Seagirt Marine Terminal). The extent to which this factor may or may not be an issue will vary across geographies, but it should not be overlooked because private enterprises are, by nature, seeking profits, and have obligations to their shareholders to do so.