Evaluating Projects and Assessing Sustainable Development in Imperfect Economies

We are interested in three related questions:(1) How should accounting prices be estimated?(2) How should we evaluate policy change in animperfect economy? (3) How can we check whetherintergenerational well-being will be sustainedalong a projected economic programme? We do notpresume that the economy is convex, nor do weassume that the government optimizes on behalfof its citizens. We show that the same set ofaccounting prices should be used both forpolicy evaluation and for assessing whether ornot intergenerational welfare along a giveneconomic path will be sustained. We also showthat a comprehensive measure of wealth,computed in terms of the accounting prices, canbe used as an index for problems (2) and (3)above. The remainder of the paper is concernedwith rules for estimating the accounting pricesof several specific environmental naturalresources, transacted in a few well knowneconomic institutions.     

Economic liberalization and welfare in a model with an informal sector

The paper reexamines the conventional results relating to inflow of foreign capital, removal of protectionism and structural reform programmes, in a small open economy in terms of a two-sector general equilibrium model with an informal sector. The paper shows that in the presence of labour market distortion and a protectionist policy, inflow of foreign capital may be desirable irrespective of the pattern of trade of the economy due to its favourable impact on welfare. But the welfare implications of tariff reductions and/or structural adjustment programmes, such as deregulating the formal sector labour market, depend crucially on the economy's trade pattern. The paper provides an answer to the question as to whether in a developing economy labour market reform and tariff reform should go hand-in-hand or whether one should precede the other for welfare improvement.
JEL classification: F10, F13, F21, O17.     

The optimal treatment of tax expenditures

This paper analyzes the optimal treatment of tax expenditures. It develops an optimal tax model where individuals derive utility from spending on a “contribution” good such as charitable giving. The contribution good has also a public good effect on all individuals in the economy. The government imposes linear taxes on earnings and on the contribution good so as to maximize welfare. The government may also finance directly the contribution good out of tax revenue. Optimal tax and subsidy rates on earnings and the contribution good are expressed in terms of empirically estimable parameters and the redistributive tastes of the government. The optimal subsidy on the contribution good is increasing in the size of the price elasticity of contributions, the size of the crowding out effect of public contributions on private contributions, and the size of the public good effect of the contribution good. Numerical simulations show that the optimal subsidy on contributions is fairly sensitive to the size of these parameters but that, in most cases, it should be lower than the earnings tax rate.     

Structural Decomposition Analysis of Physical Flows in the Economy

Many environmental problems can be attributedto the extraction and emissions of physicalsubstances. Increasing our understanding of theeconomic and technological driving forcesbehind these physical flows can contribute tosolving the environmental problems related tothem. The input-output framework is a usefulsetting in which to integrate detailedinformation about economic structure andphysical flows. In this article a specificmethod in input-output analysis is reviewed,namely Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA).It is based on comparative static analysis,which decomposes historical changes of a policyvariable into determinant effects. SDA has beenapplied, for example, to analyze the demand andtechnological driving forces of energy use,CO₂-emissions and various other pollutantsand resources. This article examines thetheoretical aspects of structuraldecomposition, in particular those concerningphysical flows and environmental issues.Furthermore, the article includes an extensivesurvey of empirical studies.     

略论二元经济的实质与转化——基于信息和知识视角

二元经济是发展中国家在发展过程中最基本的经济特征.从信息和知识的角度看,任何经济系统、组织、个人都是信息和知识生产、收集、传递及利用的装置,二元经济形成的关键在于不同区域在信息和知识的生产、收集、传递及利用能力及效率上的差异.因此,二元经济如何发展和转换完全取决于该区域内与信息和知识利用相关能力的形成和发展.     

西部大开发税收优惠政策实施效果评估

本文通过对西部开发税收优惠政策与地区经济增长、企业生产经营行为以及地方财政收入关系的评估分析,认为西部开发税收优惠政策对经济增长具有明显促进作用,对企业资产利润率提高也具有显著正效应.但从2002年到2004年西部开发税收政策对西部经济增长促进效应不断降低.最主要的原因是政策涉及的垄断企业多,市场化企业少;能源开发、环境污染严重企业享受多,实现地方可持续发展企业享受少;优惠税额主要促进了中央大型能源开采垄断企业,大多数有利于西部地区经济可持续发展的支柱产业得不到有效支持.所以提出:西部开发税收优惠政策在覆盖面上应做有增有减,并做出延长政策时效等调整.     

经济增长、结构调整的累积效应与资本形成——当前经济增长态势分析

1990年以来 ,特别是 2 0世纪 90年代中后期 ,中国的经济结构发生了重大调整 :基础设施的投入奠定了城市化的基础 ,工业化在消费和出口的拉动下逐步升级。中国经济增长开始由工业化单引擎发展到工业化与城市化的双引擎。由低价工业化到高价城市化的转化以及与之相应的资金流程与资本形成方式的变化 ,一方面引起近年来中国经济的快速发展 ,另一方面也对未来中国经济的持续增长形成挑战。通过政府体制、金融体系和财税体制的进一步改革 ,完善资源配置方式 ,将是应对挑战、保持中国经济持续增长的保证。     

小企业会计制度与税务制度差异研究

由于企业会计制度与税务制度所规范的对象和目的不同,会计核算和税务核算之间始终存在着一定的差异。小企业会计制度在会计核算原则、会计假设、会计方法、会计政策及会计实务等方面都与现行的税务制度存在着较大的差异,而这些差异会导致国家税源的流失,造成纳税调整增多,并容易引起征纳双方的纠纷,甚至不能正确地确认纳税人权益,也给企业避税创造了机会。本文建议,应加快我国税收制度的改革,减少小企业会计制度与税务制度的差异,确保小企业会计核算的准确性,并能依法纳税。     

税务会计研究论文的实证分析

从1994年至2002年发表的税务会计研究论文有180多篇,本文通过对其内容、作者、发表时间、作者单位、发表期刊等方面进行实证分析,试图发现我国税务会计研究的一些规律,以期对我国今后的税务会计研究得出一些有益的启示。     

对我国经济增长方式转变的新思考

我国经济增长方式长期存在着由粗放型向集约型转变的困扰,表现为经济增长过度依赖于投入的增加,生产技术水平偏低,劳动者素质结构改善缓慢,经济比例关系没有理顺,产业结构不合理现象突出等。转变增长方式的关键在于增强国内自主创新能力,调整和优化产业结构,以科技进步推动经济增长由低质低效向高质高效的转化,以产业结构的调整和优化保障增长目标的实现。