Resource Characteristics, Extraction Costs, and Optimal Exploitation of Mineral Resources

This paper modifies the traditional theories ofnon-renewable resource exploitation where reserve sizeis assumed to be the major determinant of extractioncosts. In a competitive model of resourceexploitation, characteristics of aggregate reservesare considered as a determinant of extraction cost. Then dynamic solutions for the price and exploratoryefforts are developed. Various price paths arefeasible under different assumptions with regard tothe changes in the reserve characteristics over time. Past empirical research shows that there is noconsistent price path for all materials. In fact, itis the quality of newly discovered reserves as well astheir size that has affected material prices. Todemonstrate the complexity of a firm's decision torecover mineral from new deposits, potentials forsubstantial high quality marine mineral resources areevaluated as a substitute for land-based resources.However, several factors including the decreasingtrend in marine mining R & D expenditures and thepotential impact of large-scale marine mining on priceof minerals indicate that mining of mostnon-hydrocarbon marine minerals will not take place inthe near future.     

Multi-product costs and standby capacity derived from queuing theory: the case of Belgian hospitals

Empirical hospital cost function studies can be divided into two categories: studies estimating traditional multi-product cost functions and studies including demand uncertainty (assuming that hospitals provide standby capacity to cope with uncertain demand and stressing that the relationship between the uncertain demand, excess capacity and costs should be investigated). Most studies include (the inverse of) the occupancy rate in a relatively basic cost function. The first contribution of this paper is to incorporate an indicator of reserve capacity into a genuine multi-product cost function. The second contribution is to propose an alternative indicator to proxy the reserve margin. The often used occupancy rate has an important shortcoming: the same occupancy rate can hide different turnaway probabilities and waiting times, obscuring the true degree of reservation quality. Since turnaway probabilities and waiting times are typical queuing theory indicators, an indicator for average waiting time (derived from queuing theory) is incorporated into a proper multi-product cost function to capture the degree of standby capacity into a proper multi-product cost function. The study uses 1997 data on Belgian general care hospitals to estimate a multi-product cost function and calculate cost elasticities, marginal costs and the degree of economies of scale. The results further show that providing standby capacity has a significant impact on total costs.     

Nature Reserves as a Bioeconomic Management Tool: A Simplified Modelling Approach

This paper demonstrates analytically how a nature reserve may protect the total population, realize maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and economic yield (EY) and how this depends on biological growth, migration, reserve size and economic parameters. The pre-reserve population is assumed to follow the logistic growth law and two post-reserve growth models are discussed to explore the importance of model assumptions for assessment of reserves. The post-reserve growth has either a common carrying capacity as in the pre-reserve case, or each sub-population has its own carrying capacity proportionate to its distribution area. A combined model, as a continuum of the two models, is also formulated and briefly discussed. Population protection against extinction is assured against low cost harvesting, including zero cost, when relative reserve size is greater than relative migration. Reserve size may be tuned to realize MSY in one model, but not in the other. Economic yield is generally greater in the former, but maximum EY cannot be realized in any one.     

Economies of scale in public education: an econometric analysis

This article investigates the sources of scale economies in the production of public education. The relationship between the average cost of producing educational output and school characteristics including school and district size is estimated using a neoclassical cost function. The empirical analysis used panel data from Utah school districts and estimates the function using the covariance and error component models after making necessary corrections for heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The uncorrected fixed effects model generates a significant negative coefficient on district size in both the cost and expenditure functions; the coefficient on number of students has the hypothesized sign but is not significant in either equation. After making various corrections for autocorrelation and heteroskedasticity, the coefficients have the correct signs and are significant in all equations. Thus, it is concluded that scale economies arise from both sources but that the evidence is stronger for district size.     

Costly Tax Enforcement and Financial Repression

Using an overlapping generations production‐economy model characterized by financial repression, purposeful government expenditures and cost of tax collection, we analyse whether financial repression can be explained by the cost of raising taxes. We show that with public expenditures affecting utility of the agents, modest costs of tax collection tend to result in financial repression being pursued as an optimal policy by the consolidated government. However, when public expenditures are purposeless, the above result only holds for relatively higher costs of tax collection. But, more importantly, costs of tax collection cannot produce a monotonic increase in the reserve requirements. What are critical, in this regard, are the weights the consumer assigns to the public good in the utility function and the size of the government.     

COMPETITIVE LONG RUN INDUSTRY EQUILIBRIUM AND FACTOR-PRICE UNCERTAINTY*

In this paper we have considered competitive long run industry equilibrium with factor-price uncertainty. We discussed the long run equilibrium output of firms with risk neutrality, output price and their responses to changes in uncertainty, factor price and industry demand. In the first part of this paper we have derived a result that, given risk neutrality, the firms operate at proper capacity, i.e. where expected long run marginal cost is equal to expected long run average cost, as shown in the case of output-price uncertainty. This result is, however, different from that obtained from Sheshinski and Dréze (1976). From the comparative static analysis we first discovered that even under risk neutrality factor-price uncertainty affects the long run industry equilibrium: that is, a mean preserving increase in uncertainty leads firm's to enter the industry, because they can decrease expected long run costs as the variability of factor price increases. Consequently, output price goes down. In contrast, firm size is kept invariable in response to its increase as long as the cost function is separable, i.e. the separability of the cost function holds when production functions are the Cobb-Douglas and CES types used commonly in empirical work, although firm size might, generally, be affected by the increase. It is an interesting fact that firm size and industry size will express different responses to a change in risk. The result that the long run industry equilibrium with cost uncertainty is explicitly affected is a sharp contrast to the result under output-price uncertainty and provides a new aspect for understanding about the behaviour of the industry with uncertainty. Secondly, increased factor-price causes the number of firms in the industry to decline and output price to rise. In addition, firm's size will expand with its increase if that factor is inferior, while the effect on firm size is ambiguous if it is normal. The firm's output, i.e. firm size, is, however, kept constant if the cost function is separable. Thirdly, the long run equilibrium output of the firm remains intact but the number of firms increases as industry demand rises. This result holds, regardless of the firm's attitude towards risk. Finally, we find throughout the paper that the functional form of the cost function plays a significant role in determining the behaviour of the industry with factor-price uncertainty.     

The contest for mineral wealth: an economic analysis of conflicts in Ghanaian mining communities

The paper uses survey data from 1458 households in 60 communities from 24 districts in 5 regions of Ghana and logistic regression to examine conflicts as a contest for mineral wealth in mining communities, estimates the determinants of conflicts in these mining communities and examines how these contests could erode and/or enhance Ghana’s gains from mining. The paper finds that the likelihood of a conflict occurring in a mining area is about 56.7%. Village effect was found to be a significant positive predictor of mining conflict. Also, improvement in primary education, employment opportunities to community members of ages 25–50, the strength of institutions and the absence of small-scale miners in a mining community reduces the probability of conflicts occurring by 12.8, 35.8, 6.57 and 17.7%, respectively. While an increase in pollution levels increases the likelihood of conflicts occurring by 7.1%, primary occupation in manufacturing and services, and increase in household monthly expenditure significantly increases the likelihood of conflicts within the mining communities as the cost of living increases.     

Privately Owned Railways' Cost Function,Organization Size and Ownership

This paper aims to find the optimal size of an urban private rail organization as well as to evaluate cost difference by ownership. First, after selecting privately owned rail companies, we explore explanatory variables which affect the cost of rail service. Second, keeping in mind previous cost studies of the urban passenger rail industry, we estimate variable cost function with the translog cost function and we construct the total cost function. Third, based on the average cost function, conditions are pinpointed which attain minimum average cost. Finally, based on estimated results, we calculate the size of an urban private rail company and the ownership effects on cost. We conclude that optimal size is about 231 million vehicle-km per year, with a network of 63.8 km length. In terms of total costs, public railways have higher costs than private railways. There is no cost difference, however, in terms of variable costs.     

Sequential auctions with imperfect quantity commitment

This paper studies sequential second price auctions with imperfect quantity commitment in environments involving single-unit demands, independent private values, and non-decreasing marginal costs. The paper characterizes the symmetric equilibrium strategy and demonstrates that the equilibrium price sequence is conditionally non-increasing, showing a downwards drift in cases in which the marginal cost exceeds the reserve price with positive probability. The paper also argues that unlike a strong seller who sets reserve prices strictly above marginal costs, a weak seller will typically prefer to commit to such inefficiently low reserve prices.     

高岭土矿区不同采矿模式环境影响的价值评价

选择有两种采矿模式的江西星子大排岭高岭土矿区,运用成本效益分析原理,从生态效益、经济效益、社会效益三个方面分析评价洞采与露天开采两种模式下的环境影响价值问题。用综合效益系数和综合功能系数来表达两种采矿模式的环境影响程度。通过评分比较发现,研究区洞采模式的综合效益系数大于露天开采,洞采的矿山森林生态系统综合功能得分是露天开采的1.8倍。     

不完全合同理论视角下渐进性创新的逆向研发外包组织模式、技术溢出与创新能力研究

既有研发外包组织理论主要基于技术优势企业视角，关注如何治理技术溢出等交易成本，忽视了缺少专利和隐性知识的企业进行渐进性创新时最优研发外包组织选择。基于不完全合同视角，从企业对研发中激励代理方努力与降低渐进性创新的不完全替代性成本之间的权衡出发，分析委托方如何合作、并购、委托以及新建研发等组织最优选择。结果表明，当委托方技术水平较低时，最优组织将需要给代理方更多控制权以激励其努力，相反，委托方则保留更多控制权以降低不完全替代性成本。委托方市场规模通过影响代理方的私人收益降低不完全替代性成本，使得委托方愿意放弃控制权以激励代理方努力。新建研发可以看作是委托方通过承担更多时间和风险成本，从而降低不完全替代性成本。在不同组织形式中，委托方对研发投入的积极性是不同的，这决定了委托方通过研发外包获得的技术溢出效应和企业创新能力。     

Economic considerations in the optimal size and number of reserve sites

The debate among ecologists on the optimal number of reserve sites under a fixed maximum total reserve area—the single large or several small (SLOSS) problem—has so far neglected the economic aspects of the problem. This paper argues that economic considerations can affect the optimal number and size of reserve sites and should therefore be taken into consideration in the SLOSS discussion. The paper presents a tractable analytical model to determine the socially optimal number of reserve sites to be allocated in a farming area under a fixed total reserve area, taking the opportunity costs of nature conservation (in this case, agricultural profits) into consideration. Furthermore, the effect of land trade and related transaction costs on the socially optimal number of reserve sites is analyzed. The analysis suggests that in the presence of diminishing returns to farming area, the socially optimal number of reserve sites (which maximizes social welfare) is generally larger than the ecologically optimal number (which maximizes an ecological objective such as population viability). When the opportunity costs of conservation can be offset by land transactions, however, the socially optimal number of reserve sites might be closer to the ecological optimum.     

自然保护区生态旅游利益主体研究——以北京松山自然保护区为例

按照利益相关者理论,在自然保护区管理过程中,应强调管理者、当地社区、经营者、市民（游客）以至专家学者等各个关系主体之间的联系。本文运用利益主体理论的相关研究,根据对松山自然保护区的问卷调查、访谈、实地观察及相关背景资料的分析,确定松山自然保护区的管理处、游客、大庄科村村民、旅游经营者为其利益主体。通过解析各利益主体各自特点以及两两利益主体之间的关系,为松山自然保护区的管理提出优化建议：理顺管理体制,提高管理效率;管理者与旅游经营者进一步合作,规范经营环境;当地居民参与旅游开发;以生态旅游资源为基础,树立保护区形象;以高质量服务赢得游客,用高级管理人才实现景区高效运作;管理处充分行使协调功能,各利益主体协作共事等。     

High Capital Mobility and Precautionary Demand for International Reserves

The volatility of reserve increment and the opportunity cost of holding reserves play prime role in models of optimal demand for foreign reserves. Most empirical studies find significant rise in the response of reserve demand to volatility during the era of high capital mobility. In contrast, we find that volatility measured as rolling standard deviation of reserve increment provides upwardly biased estimates whereas conditional volatility derived from GARCH models eliminates such bias and provides elasticity estimate closer to the prediction of buffer stock model (0.5). Though the time varying elasticity estimates derived from Kaiman filter exhibit a sharp rise during crises period, it does not exceed theoretical prediction. The RBI’s intervention policy seems to be asymmetric; leaning with wind when rupee depreciates and leaning against wind when rupee appreciates. This evidence seems to indicate that the policy of exchange rate stability had an in-built objective of providing a competitive edge to exporters.

     

经济波动、超额准备金率和内生货币-基于信贷市场资金搜寻和匹配视角

本文基于信贷市场资金和项目的搜寻与匹配视角建立了一个内生货币模型,分析经济波动和货币政策对超额准备金率和货币乘数的影响。比较静态分析发现,超额准备金率具有逆周期特征;其变化有减弱法定准备金率和基础货币政策效果的作用。动态分析发现,超额准备金率具有滞后周期特征;超额准备金率的内生变化会带来货币政策的时滞效应。通过中国数据校准参数后的模拟发现,较高惰性的法定准备金率调整政策不仅不能有效抚平信贷市场波动,反而可能是造成信贷市场不稳定的原因。对中国数据的实证分析表明,超额准备金率的上述特征都具有很好的统计显著性。     

Efficiency and regulation in the case of the Swiss Private Railways

This paper discusses the efficiency of the Swiss Private Railways in an economic and regulatory context. For this purpose, scale efficiency and overall cost efficiency for 48 Swiss private railway companies are investigated. A translog cost function for a four-year panel is estimated and measures of economies of scale and density are derived. A compound indicator for network size and structure is introduced. The estimation results allow for a discussion of efficiency in terms of optimal scale and density. Overall cost efficiency is estimated by means of a frontier cost function. The findings on efficiency are discussed in the Swiss political and regulatory context. More specifically, a regression on the influence of ownership and subsidy structure on the efficiency is performed. The findings are that most of the Swiss private railway companies operate at an inappropriately low scale and density. While the companies are rather homogenous in terms of overall cost efficiency, evidence is found for a significant influence of regulation in terms of the subsidy structure.     

Supervision and cost efficiency in banking

This paper suggests a link between bank operating efficiency and federal supervisor. Since supervisory priorities can vary by the context in which the supervisor was conceived, resulting differences in supervisory policies and procedures may underlay differences in the operating efficiency of their supervised banks. The effect on bank operating expenses is estimated at the individual bank level for each of four size strata using a translog cost function, controlling for bank characteristics and the impact of scale and scope economies. Results generally support a conclusion that bank operating cost differences exist by supervisor, except in the largest size stratum.The authors gratefully acknowledge helpful comments and suggestions from Seungmook Choi, Cary Collins, Curt Hunter, Bradford D. Jordan, Richard H. Pettway, John D. Stowe, Larry Wall, and Jim Wansley, and others at the University of Missouri and Northern Illinois University.     

银行非自愿超额准备金与宏观经济波动:来自中国的经验证据

基于将银行超额准备金分解为预防性超额准备金和非自愿超额准备金,以及将非自愿超额准备金作为银行体系流动性衡量指标,并对非自愿超额准备金的波动机制及其对宏观经济波动影响机制进行考察,发现1998-2010年期间,在外汇占款和银行贷款的综合作用下,非自愿超额准备金率经历了先降后升,然后再次下降的走势。而且从短期看,非自愿超额准备金的累积会对产出、价格和银行贷款产生负向效应,但从长期看,则又体现为正向效应,从而放大和加剧了宏观经济波动。在此情况下,货币当局在流动性管理过程中,应审慎针对非自愿超额准备金展开微调性操作,从而实现宏观经济的平稳运行。     

Foreign exchange reserve adequacy and exogenous shocks

One of the traditional benchmarks in international macroeconomics is that a country should maintain reserves that can cover at least 12 weeks of imports. The notion of reserve adequacy, however, is not static and is intimately associated with the occurrence of financial crises as well as exogenous shocks, with many observers using the reduction in reserves below this benchmark as a sign of fragility. This article provides a benefit-cost type approach to evaluating reserve adequacy. The benefits of holding reserves are evaluated using a dynamic random effects probit model of financial crises while the cost of reserve holdings (output loss due to an over-investment in reserves) is obtained from a panel growth equation. Using the methodology outlined above, the study finds that in small states, the optimal holding of foreign exchange reserves is approximately 25 weeks of imports, approximately 13 weeks higher than the international rule-of-thumb. This estimate of optimal reserve holdings is interrelated with the economic characteristics of the country, particularly its fiscal stance. Indeed, this article finds that countries with a prudent public expenditure management framework in place are able to hold a smaller stock of reserves without necessarily impacting the expected growth for the country.     

从历史中走来的风景名胜区——自然保护地体系构建下的风景名胜区定位研究

风景名胜区作为自然保护地体系的一员,已存在数千年,总结了风景名胜区的历史基因、当代特征和新时代重要作用,以传承历史、面向未来的眼光,明确了风景名胜区是新时代最具中国特色的自然保护地的定位,在自然保护地体系中应以生态保护下的展示利用作为其优先管理目标,构建以国家公园为主体、自然保护区为基础、风景名胜区为特色、各类自然公园为补充的自然保护地体系。